Amateur champ shames top guns

STA. BARBARA, Iloilo–When the severe gusts and testy pin placements made playing conditions very tough, amateur ace Juvic Pagunsan came through with a mind-boggling round that had the pros shaking their heads in disbelief.

Pagunsan gunned down nine birdies on the way to matching the course record of six-under-par 64 yesterday and a commanding five-stroke lead halfway through the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit presented by San Miguel Beer at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club here.

The 24-year-old Southeast Asian Games champ overpowered the course probably in its toughest state, knocking in birdie after birdie while most of the pros got themselves in a tough bind keeping their patience and composure battling the gale-force winds.

When the harsh day was over, the national player had the pros in full control with his 132 aggregate after scoring a 68 on the first day and gave himself the chance to become the first amateur to win a pro event in nearly 12 years.

Robert Pactolerin, leader in the first round with a flawless 65, slipped with an early double-bogey on a bad drive that went out-of-bounds and carded a 72 for a share of second with Benjie Magada, who shot a 70, at 137.

Unmindful of the amateur who broke away, the pro field remains tightly bunched with hometown favorite Richard Sinfuego and Dan Cruz just one shot back in the tourney bankrolled by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s foundation with the support of SMB and WG&A Super Ferry.

Cruz bounced back into contention with a 65 while Sinfuego submitted a 71.

Peter Miñoza, the younger brother of local star Frankie, was all alone at 139 after a 73, ahead of a five-man bunch at 141 composed of Carito Villaroman (74), Danny delos Santos (73), Rey Alit (70), Noli Kempis (71) and Vic Santia.

The man who last achieved the feat Pagunsan will be chasing in the next two days, Cassius Casas, was among those who missed the cut as he withdrew in the middle of the round. Marlon Dizon and Ramon Brobio were also cut-off victims.

"Maganda lang talaga ang putting, nagkadikit-dikit," said Pagunsan, who has been sent by the NGAP and his Canlubang patrons to the southern legs of the tour to prepare him for his next mission, the Putra Cup in Hong Kong.

Though he started his round with a bogey on the par-3 10th, he quickly rattled off three straight birdies from the 11th and sank a 12-footer on the 15th. A bogey on the 16th gave him a 32 in the back nine.

Pagunsan continued his birdie spree with a 16-footer on the second and a long one from 40 feet on No. 3. After taking his third bogey on No. 5 where he made two shots in the frontside bunker, he birdied three of the last four holes.

"Susubukan nating manalo pero gusto ko lang naman magkaroon ng kumpiyansa ulit. Maganda naman ang pinapalo," Pagunsan, who is the only amateur in the pack as Jay Bayron also failed to make it to the weekend rounds.

The winner here gets P100,000 out of the total pot of P600,000. The runner-up gets P44,000.