Siodina, Pagunsan flash old brilliance

CAGAYAN DE ORO — The leaders came in twos, and it was the turn of ageless Mario Siodina and Rey Pagunsan — players who are generations apart — to share the top spot yesterday halfway through the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit at the scenic Pueblo de Oro course here.

Siodina, still showing some sting at 54, flashed the same deadly putting touch which helped carry him to a glorious past in scoring a three-under-par 69 while Pagunsan, returning to the local tour after trying his luck in Japan, checked in with a 70.

With similar 140 aggregates for 36 holes, the two shared a one-stroke lead over a rejuvenated Mars Pucay, who boosted his bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the tour bankrolled by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and San Miguel Beer by firing a 71.

At 141, Pucay was just a shade ahead of Vic Santia (71-142) on a day when the chase for the P100,000 top purse at stake in this Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc.-organized event remained very tight with 14 players separated by just five strokes or less.

Frankie Miñoza, the hometown hero touted to treat the Cagayan folk to a confidence-boosting victory he has not tasted for almost two years now, will not get that chance as he was forced to withdraw after nine holes due to an injury.

Miñoza, 42, showed up with a heavily bandaged right wrist yesterday and quit without even holing out on the ninth green.

"He told me that the wrist was aching and didn’t want to gamble on getting a more serious injury," said tournament director Andy Maglipon.

Ironically, it was Miñoza’s swing guru, Roger Retuerto, who kept the challenge of the Cagayan pros afloat. Retuerto also fired a 69 to join Richard Sinfuego (71) and Benjie Magada, one of the two first round leaders who needed a late eagle to salvage a 74, at 144.

Magada’s co-leader, Rodrigo Cuello, was lucky to have gotten through a tough day. Cuello was in pain all round with a bum stomach and the Bacolod pro bravely fought to the last hole, scoring a 76.

Magada, the Order of Merit leader with two leg victories, started with three three-putt bogeys on the first four holes, whacked himself with a double-bogey on the 11th and was already four over after the 15th.

Magada followed up a big drive with a booming 5-wood second shot that sailed 245 yards and onto the green, stopping just three feet off the flag. He banged in the putt to stay within sight of the lead pack.

There was hardly any trouble of that kind for Siodina, making the big putts on the punishing greens of Pueblo requiring huge breaks even from short range.

Siodina knocked in a 10-footer on his first hole, the 10th, and finished the back nine at three under after a seven-footer on the 13th and another from six feet on the 17th. He preserved that score with an even par 36 coming home with two birdies on the fifth where he sank a 20-footer, and the sixth this time from 15 feet against bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3.

"Bigyan lang natin ng magandang fight ang mga bata. Sa putting pa rin magkakatalo ito, saka dapat alam mo kung paano laruin ang hangin," said Siodina, seeking to become the oldest player to win on tour.