Old master back at helm

For Robert Pactolerin, there is never a charge too early, only a chase too late by his pursuers.

Pactolerin seized control as first day leader Aaron Meeks succumbed to the demanding conditions at Villamor, his even-par 72 proved enough to put him on a very familiar place at a very familiar course halfway through the 14th Philippine Masters yesterday.

Not even his back-to-back bogeys from No. 5 on his homeward trip could stymie Pactolerin's surge as the rest of the field either failed to take advantage of his mishaps or simply faltered on their respective bids with Meeks hardest hit with his birdie-less round of 77.

Pactolerin, playing on a course he had mastered with a dozen career victories, had a 141, three-under in this tournament, as he took a one-shot lead over a steady Antolin Fernando, who quickly left after turning in his second straight 71 card that included a last-hole birdie.

But it was amateur Juvic Pagunsan who grabbed a share of the spotlight, actually the lead, when he went two-under after the first nine holes at the back. But the frail-looking 21-year-old member of the national pool, who shot a 71 in the first round, failed to rescue a par from the bunker on the par-3 6th just as heavy rains again slowed down the last few flights like it did Thursday.

He settled for another 71 and joined Fernando for second although Pagunsan said he was hardly surprised by his stint after 36 holes in a pro tournament since he had once showed up the top local pros during the 1995 Toyota Open in Canlubang for three days before settling for a joint fifth-place finish.

Neither was Pactolerin awed by his performance as the 39-year-old former champion exuded confidence of another championship with the fancied bets failing to show the kind of games expected of them.

"Sumama ang irons at bitin ang mga pins kaya medyo mahirap ngayon. Pero kumpiyansa pa rin tayo dahil siempre, home course ko ito," said Pactolerin, who gunned down three birdies to negate his bogeys in another punishing day.

After firing a 68 in the first round on six birdies, Meeks went birdie-less yesterday, his bid hampered by errant drives on the tight, tree-lined fairways of the quaint military layout as the Las Vegas native, chasing his first victory in 11 years, got into the woods three times and missed the greens five times for his bogeys.

"It was a pretty bad round. I missed only two greens in the first round, but I think I only hit two today (yesterday). I also missed a lot of fairways and in this course, you cannot play from the trees," rued Meeks, who tumbled to a share of seventh place with compatriot Andrew Pitts, carding a 73, at 145.

Swede Stephen Linskog, trying to duplicate compatriot's Olie Nordberg's victory here in 1994, shot a 70 to be at 143 with Australian Unho Park, who fumbled with a 73, while Danny Zarate fired one of the day's six under-par card, a 70 that put him at 144.

Another opening round mishap foiled Casius Casas' bid for comeback after opening with a 73 as the fancied three-time winner of the local Order of Merit double-bogeyed No. 10, where he started, and never recovered. He wound up with a 74 in another uninspiring round that dropped him to a share of 14th place with Eddie Bagtas (74) and 1997 titlist Rodrigo Cuello, who had a 75.