Juvic rallies to finish 4th, pockets P3.9 million

MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan ended a string of poor finishes on the Japan PGA Tour, firing a solid six-under 65 to salvage solo fourth worth P3.9 million in the Japan Golf Tour Championship Citibank Cup won by Yoshinori Fujimoto in Ibaraki, Japan yesterday.

Pagunsan, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, kept the momentum of his fiery 66 Saturday as he birdied the first four holes in the final round in stirring fashion then added three more birdies on Nos. 7, 9 and 15 to negate his lone bogey mishap on No. 12.

He wound up with a nine-under 275 and completed his fightback from way down in 48th in the second round to solo fourth, his best ever after two missed cuts in the Diamond Cup and in last week’s Tsuruya Open.

Pagunsan, who also won the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour OOM crown last year, finished 51st in Totoumi Hamamitsu Open, placed 60th in the PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup and wound up 50th in The Crowns.

He wound up four strokes behind Fujimoto, who fired a 68 for a 271 and posted a two-shot victory over Masamichi Euhira, who had a 273 after a 69 while Yuta Ikeda took third place with a 274 after a 69.

Pagunsan’s 65 stood as the best in the day at the par-71 Shishido Hills Country Club west course and his sterling final 36-hole 131 output also underscored the Filipino ace’s readiness to slug it out with Japan’s and Asia’s best on the lucrative circuit.

The smooth-swinging pro, meanwhile, takes a break from the Japan PGA Tour and will resume his campaign two weeks from now for the Mizuno Open in Okayama. He is also set to see action in the Invitational Sega Sammy Cup in Hokkaido in July, his last big tournament before he vies in the British Open on July 19-22.