Pagunsan starts out strong, leads Korean by one

Former Southeast Asian Games champion Juvic Pagunsan fired a three-under-par 69 yesterday to open up a one-stroke lead at the start of the second Riviera Open amateur golf championship at the Couples course of the Riviera Golf and Country Club.

Pagunsan, member of the Philippine team which tied for fifth in the Nomura Cup in Queensland, Australia last week, torched the front nine with three birdies and played steady on his home trip to finish the day alone at the top with Korean Lee Seong Ki a stroke adrift.

While Pagunsan’s Nomura Cup teammate Marvin Dumandan had a respectable 72 to be in third spot, the two other members — Jerome Delariarte and Jay Bayron — struggled all day and ended up way behind.

Bayron scored a 77 and did a little better than tournament favorite Delariarte, who took a horrendous eight on the second hole and went on to score a 78.

Felipe Judan erected a four-stroke lead over Roberto Rapadas in Class B with his 76 while Jose Mendoza and Peter Nava tallied similar 92s to share a one-stroke lead over Felix Cortez in Class C of the tourney sponsored by Transnational Diversified Group, Wide Wide World Express, Mizuno, Pacsports and Handog Industrial Corp.

Southwoods bet Marc Lopez scored a 74 to stay in fourth place in the championship class. Calatagan’s Dave Hernandez was fifth with a 75 while Canlubang’s Jun Bernis, Omar Dungca of Northwoods and Kim Chang Hoi of Orchard were in a three-way tie for sixth at 76.

Joining Bayron at 77 was club bet Raymond Sangil who rallied from a six-over 42 in the front nine marred by two double-bogeys with a one under 35 in the back.

Delariarte, the back-to-back national amateur champion, was alone in 78.

The rest of the standings saw Hanson So at 79, Boyet Saragosa 80, Michael Bibat 81, Gene Bondoc 81, Ronnie Torrecampo 83, Jong Laput 83, Anthony Victoria 84, Jun Rates 85, Anthony Victoria 85, Paul Soriano 88, and Nguyen Tuan 101.