Pagunsan grabs Cangolf lead with opening 68

Juvic Pagunsan turned in one of his finest starts this season when he carded a four-under-par 68 in the first round of the P1-million ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational at the North course of the Canlubang Golf Club in Calamba, Laguna. Pagunsan, who hails from Bacolod but treats Cangolf as his second home, submitted six birdies as against only two bogeys to open up a slim one-stroke advantage over ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour’s Order of Merit leader Elmer Salvador. Pagunsan, who had not seen action on the local tour since beating Jerome Delariarte and Artemio Murakami by six strokes at Apo, had a two-birdie, two-bogey stint after six holes at the back. But he holed with back-to-back birdies then gunned down two birdies on Nos. 2 and 7 for a 34-34 card. That was enough to give the smooth-swinging shotmaker the lead in the final leg of the 10-stage circuit.

The Davao-born Salvador had a solid three-under-par 69 and was still on course for the overall title in the Order of Merit. Just a stroke behind him at 70 was ICTSI Forest Hills winner Jay Bayron while unknown Venjo Reyes scored a 71. Erwin Vinluan bucked an early double-bogey mishap and shot four birdies against a bogey to join the 71 scorers in the morning flight that included Louie Dacudao and Reyes. Reyes actually led the star-studded field after nine holes behind a sizzling 31 at the front when he birdied five straight holes from No. 5. But after a slew of pars at the back, he failed to endure the pressure and bogeyed four of the last six holes to drop into a tie for third. Solomon Gines rallied with four birdies against a bogey at the back to salvage a 33 and an even par 72, the same output put in by Ronald Pactolerin and Noli Kempis while the rest of the 120-man field, including 20 amateurs, struggled on the challenging layout and sleek putting surface. Amateurs Dante Becierra and Peter Villaber of the ICTSI team turned in contrasting rounds with the former rallying at the front with a birdie-birdie finish and the latter bogeying two of the last three holes for 73s. Asian Tour regular Tony Lascuna, also groped for form, making a bogey and a double-bogey against a birdie at the back before scrambling for three birdies against three bogeys on his final nine holes at the front for a 74. Other two-over par scorers were Ernie Rellon, Joel Opaco, Russell Honrubia, Choi Moon Sik and amateur Zanie Boy Gialon. – Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV