Juvic's team steals pro-am show

MANILA, Philippines - The ICTSI-Philippine Open victory for Juvic Pagunsan came a bit earlier when the ace Filipino shotmaker led his team to the pro-am championship, the traditional kickoff stage of the $300,000 event at the fabled Wack Wack’s East Course.

The 18-hole tournament featured the leading pros vying in the tournament proper along with their amateur partners from the event’s organizers and major backers plus their guests from various sectors totalling 40 teams.

The pro-am also gave amateur golfers to vie for a chance to win a brand new Lexus CT200h via hole-in-one.

Closely associated with premier golf tournaments in the US, Europe and Asia, Lexus came on board as the official car sponsor of the 95th ICTSI Philippine Open.

It also served as the final tune-up for the competing field to test a course noted for its toughness with Pagunsan showing his readiness for a crack at a first-ever Phl Open crown when he led a squad composed of Sonny Go, Stewart Go and Anthony Suntay to victory.

With the smooth-swinging former Asian Tour top rookie firing eight birdies, the Wack Wack2 squad combined for a 14-under 58 in the morning session and took the first of two pro-am crowns staked in the day.

Thai Kwanchai Tannin and amateur partners Rafael Mapua, Monty Buhay and Paolo Olivers copped the runner-up honors for Team Srixon with a 59 while Chan Yih-shin of Taiwan powered his Asian Tour-3 team that included Glen de Leon, Paul Chuatico and Iam Mancure to third place with a 60.

Five teams turned in identical 61s, including Thanyakorn Krongpha of Thailand with Globe-1 teammates Jesus Romero, Trevor Friessen and Eddie Boy Lopez; Joonas Granberg of Finland with Asian Tour-4 partners Harry Lin, Yuji Goto and Ogie Caja; Iain Steel of Malaysia with Robert Ynson, Sherwin Yu and Liberato Tan for Wack Wack-3; Indian Digvijay Singh with Ikuko Kito, Nancy Ortiga and Marilen Bantug for ICTSI-6; and American Berry Hanson with Ricoh-2 teammates Cesar Orbe, Lewis Wong and Manny Peralta.

The Asian Tour awarded two winners in the pro-am for the morning and afternoon groups with Malaysian Ben Leong and teammates Elphege Wong, Peter Chan and Nestor Valdez shooting a 57 and nipping two other teams in the countback to bag the crown in the other group for Team Wack Wack BOD-3.

Siddikur, the Bangladeshi ace who is currently No. 2 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit ranking, and partners Pablo Soon, Bong Vilchez and Benjie Guevarra also turned in a 57 for NGAP-1 while Jbe Kruger of South Africa and teammates Ivan Monsalve, Jed Dye and Sam Bruce also had a 57 for Team Ayala.

Thai Chapchai Nirat and San Miguel Corp.-1 teammates Howie Sison, Michael Mendoza and Gerald Katigbak also assembled a 57 but settled for fourth.

Frankie Miñoza, a two-time Phl Open winner who took a break from a hectic US Seniors Tour campaign to help lead the locals’ title drive in the country’s premier and Asia’s oldest golf championship, teamed up with Reimond Silvestre, Juan Ibazeta and Danny Lee for ICTSI-4, which wound up fifth with a 58.