Rosales plucks crown in the wind

CANLUBANG — It took Gerald Rosales one day to familiarize himself with the posh The Country Club course that changes in character in every twirl and whirl of the wind. And in a five-hole stretch yesterday, he almost turned the Don Pocholo Razon Memorial Invitational Tournament into his own convenience store.

Rosales strung up a stirring five -birdie string from Nos. 7-11 to finally tame the wind and the terrors lurking on the tricky putting surface of the par-72 layout as he fired a two-under par 70 to wrest a one-stroke lead over Cookie La’O halfway throughout the P3.5 million championship.

That he did it despite dropping two strokes in the first six holes spoke well of the character and form of the 26-year-old shotmaker who arrived from an ego-boosting campaign in Malaysia Monday and played without the benefit of a practice round on an exclusive course hosting a tournament of this magnitude for the very first time.

"I didn’t panic when I lost two strokes early on since I knew that I’m hitting the ball well and playing solid in the last few weeks," said Rosales, who had a 142 that included a 72 in the first round where he blew a three-under card in the early going. "I just kept my cool."

But the same could not be said of the rest of the field, who remained dazed and shaken by the blustery wind although it was kind of manageable yesterday unlike in the first round when the playing condition was harsh and ruthless, with only three players scoring one-under par rounds.

First round leaders Cassius Casas, Benjie Magada and Mars Pucay all tumbled down like pins in a bowling alley with over-par scorers with Magada failing to recover from poor starts and Pucay and Casas dropping out of the lead with a sputtering finish.

Magada had too many bogeys in his 40-38 card, his 78 marred by poor putting as he dropped all the way down to 12th at 149, while Pucay looked good after scoring pars in regulation in the first 14 holes before dropping three strokes in the last four for a 75. He had a 146, the same output put in by Casas, who opened with a double-bogey and a bogey in the first three holes and holed out with a double-bogey six when he missed the green and three putted.

With the other fancied bets struggling and trying to find their way back to the fold, the youthful La’O refused to crumble and fired his own version of a 71 for the only other under-par card turned in on another wind-blown day. He emerged the unlikely challenger as he trailed Rosales by just one stroke after a 71 and a 143.

Tony Lascuña and Angelo Que carded even-par rounds for the second straight day to share third place at 144, two shots adrift of Rosales, while Rey Pagunsan, who thrived under the same condition at The Midlands in the First Gentleman’s Golf Circuit last month which he won in wire-to-wire fashion, shot the day’s best score of 69, an eagle-aided 36-33 card, in a big rebound from an opening 76. He took solo fifth at 145.

After a forgettable 79, Frankie Miñoza bounced back with a 73, marred by a closing bogey as he barely missed the cut at 152.

It could also be a blessing in disguise for Rosales.

For the former Philippine Open champion was actually not in the original list of participants here since he was set to play in the Myanmar Open of the Davidoff tour beginning today. But a foul-up in his entry application forced him to withdraw and make a last-minute booking for a flight back home.

Now, after pocketing P1.1 million for his joint ninth place finish in Malaysia, Rosales is looking for another P1 million bounty here in this event put up by Rick Razon in honor of his father and founder of the country’s top ports company International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

And the good thing is, he’s in total control of his game.

That’s despite holing out with a bogey where, after barely missing the green, he muffed a four-foot putt for par.

"Okay lang yun, all I know is I’m playing pretty well," said Rosales.