Pagunsan at it again, fires 66 to trail by 2 in Casio World Open

MANILA, Philippines — Juvic Pagunsan rekindled his vintage form with a scintillating seven-birdie performance against a lone bogey, carding a fiery 66 to sit just two shots behind leader Riki Kawamoto after the opening round of the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at the Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Kochi, Japan on Thursday.

Eager to bounce back from last week’s inconsistent showing at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Miyazaki, where he opened with a 66 but faded to finish tied for 19th, the smooth-swinging Filipino is determined to sustain his momentum across the four-day event as he chases his third title on the Japan Golf Tour.

Pagunsan had a shaky start, stumbling with a three-putt bogey on the third hole. However, the 46-year-old Negrense recovered brilliantly, stringing together three consecutive birdies starting at the fifth hole, highlighted by a pitch-in birdie on the sixth.

He continued his dominance on the back nine, taming the par-5 10th and adding birdies on the 14th and 15th holes before closing his round in style with another birdie on the par-5 18th.

His impressive round was built on accuracy and consistency, hitting 11 fairways and making five crucial up-and-down pars. With only 24 putts, his putting was a standout aspect of his game.

Pagunsan is part of a tight chase pack that includes five other players who also carded 66, all trailing Kawamoto, who set the pace with a nine-birdie 64, despite a single bogey. Ryo Ishikawa, meanwhile, posted a solid 65, featuring a frontside 31, to claim solo second.

While Pagunsan put himself firmly in contention, fellow Filipino-American Justin delos Santos faced an uphill battle after a lackluster two-over 74 left him tied for 90th in the 108-player field, putting him in danger of missing the cut.