Juvic blows top but keeps lead with 67, holds off steady Dabawenyo

TONY LASCUNA OF DAVAO

JUVIC PAGUNSAN OF BACOLOD

BACOLOD – Juvic Pagunsan dumped his caddie after seven holes at the back but held on to fire a three-under 67 and hold off a steady Dabawenyo Tony Lascuña as he kept a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic here Thursday.

Disgusted over Joebert Miraveles’ ”wrong allowance” on a par-putt bid from six feet after dumping his tee-shot into the bunker of the par-3 No. 16, Pagunsan asked his caddie to go and went on to atone for an uncharacteristic 37 with a typical Pagunsan windup – a five-under 30.

That fiery closing stint included a stirring four-birdie string from No. 4 where Pagunsan had to pull out his driver, an iron and his trusted putter in between the putting green and the tee-box of each adjacent holes at the par-70 Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club to save his energy.

“Tingnan nyo na lang sa scorecard (Just look at my scorecard),” a fuming Pagunsan blurted when asked by mediamen for the traditional post-round interview.

But his card revealed the brilliance in the man as Pagunsan, who opened his backside stint with a bogey on No. 11, flashed resiliency with a birdie on No. 1 before knocking down birdies inside five feet from No. 4 literally by his lonesome. Counting his bogey-free 66 in the first round, the three-leg winner after five stages of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour remained on top at seven-under 133.

But Lascuna kept Pagunsan within sight at 134, turning in a second straight 67 and staying on track of his own bid to end a long title drought.

“I’m on target but I still struggled on the slow surface,” said Lascuna in Filipino. He missed three birdie chances inside feet but expressed confidence in finally snapping a long title drought on the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by International Container Terminals Services, Inc.

His last win, interestingly, came at the expense of Pagunsan, whom he outlasted in a three-hole playoff in the 2008 Unity Cup tournament at Valley Golf Club.

“Di ko din talaga alam kung bakit nagalit na lang agad. Sinabihan na lang ako na magpahinga na,” said Miraveles,

Mhark Fernando, the former national amateur champion seeking a breakthrough win on the big league, matched Pagunsan’s 30 at the front as he shot one of the day’s best scores of 66 to join the chase for the top P200,000 purse in the P1 million event with a 136, four shots behind the leader.

The rest of the surviving 48-player field stood too far off the pace to pose as threats although veteran Robert Pactolerin flashed vintage form with a second 69 for fourth at 138.

Richard Sinfuego fired a 69 to tie Anthony Fernando (72) and Mars Pucay (71) at even 140 while Marvin Dumandan carded an even par 70 for a 141 and a share of eighth with Artemio Murakami (69), Gene Bondoc (72) and Jun Bernis, who rallied with the other 66.

Zanie Boy Gialon of ICTSI-The Country Club made a 72 for a 145 and remained the leading amateur at joint 24^th while 12 players made the cut at 148, including Arnold Villacencio (72), Herman Umadhay (74), Peter Miñoza (76), Paolo San Gabriel (71), Elmer Saban (73), Godofredo SInfuego (77), amateur Raymond Jaraula (75), Ramil Bisera (73), Neil Catalan (73) Albin Engino (73), Cookie La’O (78) and James Ryan Lam (78).

The event, the sixth leg of the 17-stage circuit, is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.(pr)

Pagunsan sets pace with flawless 66

BACOLOD – Juvic Pagunsan churned out an expected fine round of bogey free, four-under 66 under ideal condition at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club then watched Tony Lascuna and Rufino Bayron fumble at the finish to seize the solo lead at the start of the P1 million ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic here Wednesday.

Pagunsan birdied four of the first 12 holes in impressive style and rescued pars from the bunkers three times, including at the par-5 18^thfrom 10 feet that capped a 33-33 round fashioned out in the privacy of a windless early morning flight.

“It’s a good start although I’m still getting the feel of my new irons,” said Pagunsan, who brandished a new set of Ping irons he used only last week when he finished joint 11^th in the ASEAN PGA Tour leg in Malaysia.

He also bucked an eye allergy that kept him out of the pro-am tournament Tuesday although Pagunsan’s hold of the early lead was threatened by at least two rivals, including Bayron, who birdied the first four holes only to falter with two bogeys in the last three holes for a 68.

Lascuna took the challenger’s role with a 67, his bid for a share of the lead was ruined with a three-putt bogey mishap at the par-3 No. 8 on his way home.

“Nakakapanibago ang greens, medyo mabagal,” rued Lascuna, who upstaged Pagunsan in Malaysia by finishing eighth.

Anthony Fernando, who led his team to the pro-am win, caught up with Bayron in third at 68 on a four-birdie, two-bogey stint while local bet Robert Pactolerin flashed his familiarity with the tight layout to fire a 69 in a tie with Gene Bondoc and Mars Pucay.

Short by the pros’ standards, the par-70 layout still held its ground and yielded just seven under par rounds while six others matched par as the rest struggled on its slow surface all day.

Rodrigo Cuello, another local talent, led the 70 scorers who included rookie Carl Santos-Ocampo, Joel Opaco, James Ryan Lam, Cookie La’O and Mhark Fernando.

Jessie Balasabas rallied with a 32 at the front to salvage a 71 to join the big bunch that includes the other fancied players in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by International Container Terminals Services, Inc.

Marvin Dumandan, winner of three legs last year, overcame a triple-bogey start as he drove out of bounds twice at the winding par-4 No. 1, a double bogey on No. 4 and two bogeys with six birdies, including three straight from No. 5.

Elmer Salvador is also in the mix with a 32-39 round along with Ferdie Aunzo, Richard Sinfuego and unfancied Rey Bolano, Ramonito Ortega, Rodulfo Aldimer, Godofredo Sinfuego and Ruben Sasutil.

The 54-hole event is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.(pr)

Focus on Juvic as ICTSI Negros Classic unfolds

The ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic unwraps on Wednesday, July 13
with homegrown bet Juvic Pagunsan looming large in the P1 million event at the
Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club here but facing an army of challengers
out to stop his domination of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.
Pagunsan, who has racked up three victories in the first four legs of the
circuit and came in second to Thai Thanyakon Khrongpa in the ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat
Classic of the ASEAN PGA Tour last month, is again tipped to lead the chase for
the top P200,000 purse owing to his form and familiarity with the layout where
he reigned as the national amateur champion in 2005.
He skipped Tuesday’s traditional pro-am ruled by Anthony Fernando and amateur
partners Tess Mendell, Pinky Silva and Lynlee Rizzon, who combined for 52, and
opted to take a much needed rest instead after settling for joint 11th place
finish in the ASEAN PGA Tour leg in Malaysia last Sunday which he co-led in the
second round.
But Pagunsan drew an early morning tee-time at 7:30 a.m. on No. 1 with Jun
Bernis and amateur Chepe Dulay and is fancied to lead the attack on the par-70,
6197-yard layout that is short by the field’s standard especially in the absence
of the wind.
With the long game virtually eliminated in a field littered with long hitters,
emphasis will be on the iron game and putting with torrid scoring seen among the
fancied men on the tour.
Tony Lascuna, who emerged as the top Filipino finisher in Malaysia last week at
eighth place, predicts a winning 9-under card in the 54-hole tournament.
“I think 9- or 10-under will win here,” said Lascuna, who is coming into this
sixth leg of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour in top shape and oozing with
confidence.
“We haven’t played here for a long time, so it’s quite unfamiliar to us. But
it’s relatively short, so emphasis would be on iron game and putting and anybody
can win here,” added Lascuna, who last won in 2007 in the Selangor Masters but
has two third place finish on the local circuit this season.

Lascuna took a late tee-time at 11:20 a.m. on No. 10 in the company of Danilo
delos Santos and amateur Brent Sumampong but is also expected to figure in early
pursuit of the lead along with the other big guns of the circuit organized by
Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
They include Ferdie Aunzo, who won here in the 2008 Philippine Amateurs and is
in the first flight at 7 a.m. with Joel Opaco and Robert Malaga, the
long-hitting Artemio Murakami who is booked in the 11:10 a.m. flight on No. 1
with Rodulfo Aldimer and Peter Minoza, and Mars Pucay, Cassius Casas, Marvin
Dumandan, Ferdie Aunzo, Jun Bernis, Rufino Bayron, Jerson Balasabas and the two
other local talents in Robert Pactolerin and Rodrigo Cuello.
“It’s not actually an easy course since the greens are tough but given the
caliber of the field, a three-under card each round could win it,” said
Pactolerin.
The NOGCC is actually hosting a tournament of the local circuit for the first
time since 2002 when Angelo Que nipped Cesar Ababa by one with a closing
four-under 66 in the now defunct First Gentleman Golf Circuit.

Que and Ababa, however, won’t be around this week, but Elmer Salvador and
Richard Sinfuego, who finished joint third in 2002, are in the fold along with
Mars Pucay, Cassius Casas, Marvin Dumandan, Ferdie Aunzo, Jun Bernis, Rufino
Bayron, Jerson Balasabas and another local talent in Rodrigo Cuello.
“I can’t remember anything on this course although I know you have to hit it
straight here and play a superb short game to score here,” said Salvador in
Filipino. The Order of Merit champion in the inaugural staging of the
ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour in 2009 is also coming off a joint 20th place finish
with Murakami in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the big-hitting Orlan Sumcad and teammates Isidro Villarosa, Ivan
Villarosa and Jason Villarosa, also made a 52 but lost in the countback and
settled for second in the pro-am while Aunzo and partners Chole Ramos, Boy
Gamboa and Angel Garriel took third place with 53.
The event, the seventh leg of the 17-stage circuit, is backed by MJ Carr Golf
Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom
Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A
Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.(pr)

South Korean shines!

Another South Korean golfer shines!

Cyna, Jayvie in hunt for WWGA match play seats

Cyna Rodriguez shot a one-under 70 while Jayvie Agojo matched par 71 as the
former Philippine Ladies Open champions stayed on course for the match play
berths in the Women’s Western Golf Association Championship at the Sawgrass
Country Club in Florida Tuesday.
Rodriquez, an incoming junior at the Univ. of Southern California, overcame a
bogey-bogey start with three birdies inside 10 feet in the next seven holes,
finishing with a 35-35 round at the par-71, 6,162-yard layout at the Ponte Vedra
Beach.
That put the top ICTSI-backed bet in joint second with Florida’s Meghan Stasi
and Victoria Trapani, four shots behind another local bet Victoria Tanco, who
sizzled with a 66 at the start of the 36-hole stroke play qualifier.
Agojo, a graduate at Pepperdine U, hit just two greens in regulation at the
front but leaned on her superb short game to salvage a 37-34 card on a
two-birdie, two-bogey stint for joint fifth.
“Cyna and Jayvie played solid despite a shaky start. Cyna putted very well,
making just 27 putts, and Jayvie was impressive with her recoveries in the first
nine holes,” said ICTSI team coach Bong Lopez.
Over in California, Andie Unson strung up nines of 36-38. Including two birdies
against three bogeys, for a one-over par 74 at the par-73 Madera Golf and
Country Club to finish joint sixth and clinch a spot in the US Girls’ Juniors
Championship slated July 18-23 at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia,
Illinois.
Four other ICTSI-backed bets remained in contention for slots in the match play
phase in the WWGA tilt with Sunshine Baraquiel carding a 76 for joint 33rd,
Lovelynn Guioguio, winner of the recent Sarawak Am Open, and Daniella Uy turning
in identical 78s for a share of 41st and Dabawenya Sarah Ababa in joint 51st despite a
so-so 79.
The top 64 players from the starting field of 136 will advance to the knockout
stage of the event which Dottie Ardina failed to annex after settling for
runner-up finishes in the last two years.PR

Thai humbles Bacolod, Davao aces

Thai ace Thanyakon Khrongpha bested the cream of the country’s pro golf by winning the $50,000 ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat Championship, closing out with an eagle-spiked five-under 67 for a three-shot victory over Juvic Pagunsan of Bacolod at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas, Saturday.

Not even a final hole bogey could stop the 21-year-old Khrongpha from humbling the local field and pocketing the hotly-disputed crown worth $8,126 as he built enough cushion with a scorching five-under 31 at the front to rule the rain-interrupted 72-hole championship.

He wound up with a 15-under 273, launching his fightback from the middle of the pack with a fiery six-under 66 in the weather-delayed third round to tie Tony Lascuna of Davao at the helm early Saturday then kept the momentum with that 31 that featured three straight birdies from No. 5 and highlighted by an eagle-3 on the par-5 ninth.

That blazing start put Khrongpha five shots clear off Lascuna, the solo second round leader, who struggled with his putting early on while settling for an even 36 after nine holes. Lascuna birdied two of the first five holes coming home but ran out of holes in his comeback bid and like Khrongpha, bogeyed the final hole for a 71 to yield the runner-up honors to Pagunsan.

Juvic Pagunsan, who with teener Miguel Tabuena bounced back to within one off Khrongpha and Lascuna at the start of the final round of the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., found his win streak snap despite a three-under 69, ending up three strokes behind Khrongpha with a 12-under 276 worth $5,616.

Lascuna, 40, wound up with a 277 for third worth $3,151 while the 16-year-old Tabuena finished solo fourth at 279 after a 72 marred by three straight bogeys from No. 14. He took home $2,551.

Eight other local bets followed suit, none able to scuttle Khrongpha’s title bid with Rufino Bayron, another Dabawenyo, placing fifth with a 280 after a 68 worth $2,051.

Jay Bayron, the reigning Order of Merit champion on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour and brother of Rufino, strung up four birdies in the first five holes at the back, including three straight from No. 10, but bogeyed two of the last four for a 70. He wound up sixth with a 281 and received $1,801.

Khrongpha’s victory also kept Thailand’s domination of the event, backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports., which Chawalit Plaphol ruled last year with an eight-stroke romp of Pagunsan.

Dabawenyo Elmer Salvador and Jerson Balasabas finished joint seventh with 282 after a 69 and 70, respectively, while Jhonnel Ababa bogeyed four of the first five holes for a 74, ending up tied for ninth with 2007 champion Mars Pucay, who eagled the par-5 17^th but wound up with an even par 72, at 283.

“I played really well. My only mistake was on the 16th where I hit my tee shot out of bounds,” said Thanyakon after turning in a 66 in the third round.

The Thai golfer from Konkan, who nipped Jay Bayron in sudden death to win the Kariza Indonesia Championship of the ASEAN PGA Tour last year, turned pro at the beginning of last year after a stellar season on the amateur circuit winning the Malaysian and Thailand Amateur Championships.

While Pagunsan, Lascuna and Tabuena gutted it out in the featured local flight, Khrongpha frolicked in a group that included compatriot Panuwat Muenlek and Balasabas, hitting three straight birdies from No. 5 before capping his romp with an eagle on No. 9.

With Pagunsan and Tabuena making identical 34s and Lascuna matching par 36 at the turn, Khrongpha found himself four clear off Pagunsan and Tabuena and five ahead of Lascuna, playing virtually pressure at the back where he dropped a stroke on the par-3 11^th but hit another birdie on No. 13 before holing out with a birdie-bogey finish for the win.[PR]

Davao's Lascuna surges to 3-shot lead with fiery 66

Dabawenyo Tony Lascuna roared with an explosive windup at the front with a 31 en route to a six-under 66 as he slipped past erstwhile joint leaders Juvic Pagunsan and Miguel Tabuena for a three-stroke lead halfway through the rain-interrupted $50,000 ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat Championship at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas, Friday.
Lascuna bounced back from a missed-green bogey mishap on No. 12 with back-to-back birdies from No. 13 then sizzled at the front with five birdies in the last six holes, including three straight from No. 7, that put the dusky shotmaker way ahead of the field at eight-under 136.
“I made a lot of putts and played some great irons shots,” said Lascuna, a perennial runner-up on the ASEAN PGA Tour still in search of the big one.
But the big ones are also in hot pursuit of the top $8,126 purse in this second leg of the ASEAN PGA Tour with Pagunsan and Tabuena, who shared the lead with a pair of 68s in the rain-suspended first round, slowing down with another pair of 71s despite improved weather conditions for 139s.
“In the morning I played great but it was hard going in the wet conditions. The course is playing long but as the greens are soft it means you can attack the pins. I just didn’t strike it so well in the second round,” said Pagunsan, who had four birdies against three bogeys after a bogey-free 68 in the rain-suspended opener.
Dutch Guido Van der Valk, another perennial contender on the local tour, and Mars Pucay, winner here in 2007, both fired 69s to join Pagunsan and Tabuena in second while four players, led by Jhonnel Ababa, stood at 140, four shots adrift of Lascuna.
Ababa, the former amateur hotshot seeking a breakthrough win on his rookie year like Tabuena, matched Lascuna’s flawless 31 at the front as he shot a 67 for joint sixth with another rookie pro Jerson Balasabas, who carded a second straight 70.
Thais Thanyakon Khrongpha and Panuwat Muenlek also stayed in the title hunt with a 70 and 71, respectively, as they tied Ababa and Balasabas in sixth place heading into the last 36 holes of the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
After two days of rains, the weather improved a bit although the field still played under overcast skies and preferred lies rules with 57 players making the cut at 150, including Cassius Casas and Benjie Magada, who barely advanced to the weekend play with 79-71 and 77-73, respectively.
 Arnold Villacencio, joint third in last week’s ICTSI Eastridge Classic of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, turned in a 69 for joint 10th with amateur Jobim Carlos, carding a 70, at 141, while Carito Villaroman, who fired a bogey-less 69 in the first round, fumbled with a 73 and dropped to 142 in a tie with Erwin Arcillas, who made a second straight 71.
Jay Bayron, joint ninth in the Pattaya Open, the first leg of the ASEAN PGA Tour, rallied with a 69 but stood too far behind at 145, nine strokes off the 40-year-old Lascuna.
With only half of the surviving field expected to finish the third round at presstime, the rest will resume theirs at 7 a.m. today (Saturday) with the final round firing off at 7:30 a.m., according to rulesman Henry Arabelo.
The tournament is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.PR