Keeping his focus despite two close misses in recent weeks, Casas set the Del Monte course afire with a brilliant eight-under-par 64 yesterday that got him breaking loose by four strokes in the opening round of the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit ninth leg presented by San Miguel Beer here.
There was hardly any room for error for one of local golf’s high-profile players as Casas hit 17 greens in regulation and found all the fairways off the mound in a long-awaited return to form.
His explosive start of eight birdies and no bogeys more than made up for the absence of homegrown hero Frankie Miñoza, who was seen practicing on the course on Monday but couldn’t join the field due to a previous commitment in Manila.
A 15-foot birdie on the 18th capped a glorious day for the 36-year-old Casas, who made a 31 in the front nine behind a cluster of three birdies from the fourth and picked up three more in his homeward trip at the tree-lined layout.
That 64 was so far the best score this season, almost four months after the revival of the circuit made possible by the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc. with the full support of San Miguel Beer.
There were also 17 players who broke par, another season high which can be an indication of a week of superb scoring in the culmination of the Mindanao swing of the circuit.
Rey Pagunsan, the former amateur hotshot returning to the local tour after a two-year campaign in Japan, was tied with three others for second place. Also scoring 68s were Joselito Rempojo, Orland Sumcad and Elmer Salvador.
Rodrigo Cuello was all alone at 69 while the group at 70 included Robert Pactolerin, Carito Villaroman, Edwin Sanchez, Richard Sinfuego, Vic Santia and Edwin Estrera.
New Order of Merit leader Mars Pucay, his bid for a third consecutive title suddenly imperiled by Casas’ surge, finished the opening round seven shots behind after a 71. He was joined in that figure by Noli Kempis, Roger Antonio, Rodolfo Cuello, Ricky Marcelo and amateur Romeo Jaraula.
"I’ve not had this feeling of satisfaction for quite sometime now. I played really perfect all day, put my shots where I wanted them to be and it just couldn’t have been better," said Casas whose game has gone through some wild bumps of late.
Casas, who now endorses Wilson clubs and plays out of Manila Southwoods, won the second leg at Sherwood Hills but missed the cut in three of the first six legs. He started the year with two close losses to Pucay at Rancho Palos Verdes and last week at Pueblo.
He was two strokes short of the course record Frankie Miñoza set in the now defunct Philip Morris Golf Classic eight years ago.