Pucay, Ababa master tough greens to lead

BACOLOD — Mars Pucay holed a 16-foot birdie on the 18th — a big putt he compared to a buzzer-beating triple in basketball — to salvage a one-under-par 69 yesterday and tie Cesar Ababa for the lead in the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit here.

As the tough greens made even short putts for par very hard to read, former National PGA champ Ababa made a couple of 10-footers for birdie on Nos. 15-16 to match Pucay’s score for the second straight day and join him at 141, one over par at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club.

There were just a few of those good stories from the greens, however, as poor putting was blamed for the highest leading and cut-off scores in five legs so far of the tour organized for the First Gentleman Foundation Inc., and San Miguel Beer by the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc.

It was amateur JR Tanpinco, who came up with the day’s lowest score of a four-under 66 built around six birdies that sent him mightily breaking into the title picture like hometown hero Robert Pactolerin.

Tanpinco and Pactolerin joined first round leader Dan Cruz, Antonio Lascuna, Rey Alit and Vic Santia for third spot, just a stroke behind the co-leaders with the weekend play promising to be as puzzling as the greens of a course popularly called Marapara.

Pactolerin bounced back with a 69, Alit and Santia both had 71s for the second consecutive round, Lascuna submitted a 73 while Cruz faded with a 74.

Tanpinco, opening with a 20-footer for birdie on No.1, toyed with his home course as he picked up five more the rest of the way against only two bogeys for the tournament’s best score so far.

He becomes another amateur threat for the pros a week after Juvic Pagunsan had come very close to stealing the Iloilo leg from eventual champion Benjie Magada.

Pucay, a two-time World Cupper, had not finished lower than seventh in his first four outings this season and the Mesaland pro is just itching to join the winners’ roster, which includes Lascuna, Casas and Richard Sinfuego.

Despite the cut soaring to its highest in the circuit of 12-over 152, Casas was among the casualties after a disappointing 85-165.

"Putting is really the key here. You have to make the short ones but my putt on 18th is a morale-booster, like a buzzer-beating triple that capped a very long day," said Pucay, who teed off on the last hole with an even par card after scoring four birdies against as many bogeys.

"I think the course can’t be in better shape. It’s the best I’ve seen since my amateur days, there are high scores because of the greens which for us are difficult to read," he said.