Golf: Frankie Minoza shines after day one of ICTSI Pueblo de Oro

Cagayan de Oro - Frankie Minoza displayed vintage form, as he returned with a five-under-par 67, to secure the overall lead with Joenard Rates in the P1-million ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club.
    
It was an auspicious start for Minoza, who just over the weekend, won the ICTSI Del Monte in front of his province-mates.  The 53-year-old senior tour star in both the US and Japan, is heating up in time for his stint in the Senior British Open in less than two weeks.
    
Minoza was active from the get-go, drilling in four birdies to negate a bogey on the fourth hole for a three-under at the turn.  He continued his run with birdies on numbers 12 and 15, to put him in nice position for the P200,000 champion's prize again.
    
Rates was the unlikely guy to tie Minioza. The son of former pro Joe Rates was bogey-free, playing one of his best games on the pro tour. This was despite the sweltering heat prevalent the whole day at the tough Pueblo de Oro par 72 layout.
    
Languishing at number 50 in the Order of Merit ranking with so-so finishes and three missed cut stints in the first six legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, Rates missed just one fairway and hit 16 greens, five of which he turned into birdies inside 10 feet, while saving pars in two times.
    
"I did not expect this low score.  I played loose, pressure-free," Rates said.
    
Onyot Lascuna, Elmer Salvador, Mars Pucay and Rufino Bayron were bunched on 68s while Jay Bayron, Benjie Magada, Arnold Villacencio and fancied Angelo Que were on 69s.  At 70 were Marvin Dumandan, James Lam, Carl Santos-Ocampo, Gerald Rosales and Chucky Hong. - AMD, GMA News