Pacto flashes vintage form, leads by one

BUKIDNON, Philippines – With blurred vision or not, Robert Pactolerin is setting his sights on a six-digit figure and a return to the golfing podium.

Pactolerin finally showed the form that made him a byword on the local circuit for years as he shot a six-under par 66 and came from out of nowhere and into the lead of a star-studded field in the first round of the P1 million ICTSI Del Monte Championship here yesterday.

The former Philippine Open winner and many-time Masters champion at Villamor hit all but two fairways, fired superb iron shots that set up seven birdie chances inside eight feet and then came through with a pair of pitch-in pars that spiked his 33s at the Del Monte Golf Club.

It was just one of the 25 under-par rounds turned in an overcast day of torrid scoring at the rolling, tight layout, which lay virtually defenseless in the absence of the wind that paved the way for the most low-scoring start in the three-year-old ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.

“I’m not a bit surprised of my round because I really feel I can score here,” said Pactolerin, who turned in so-so finishes in the last four legs of the circuit after missing the first three stages following an eye operation. “My vision is a lot clearer now unlike in the past when my eyes get irritated and tears would suddenly flow down as I hit my shots.”

“I feel good and my driving and iron game are okay,” said Pactolerin, whose game took a downswing after ruling the ICTSI-Sherwood leg in late 2008.

It also didn’t come as a surprise that little known Ebarra Quiachon took the challenger’s role with a five-under 67, highlighted by a four-birdie splurge at the back, as the fancied bets lurked just behind at 68.

They include Juvic Pagunsan, raring to annex a second straight title after dominating the field in the ICTSI Apo leg last week, reigning Philippine Open champion and ICTSI Mt. Malarayat leg winner Elmer Salvador, Cassius Casas, Richard Sinfuego, Louie Dacudao and amateur Jhonnel Ababa.

Pagunsan, trying to become the first player to win three leg titles in the circuit, went three under after No. 15 from where he started with Mars Pucay and Antonio Asistio II. But he bogeyed the next and hit two more birdies in a bogey-less stint at the front for that 34-34.

Casas, confident of pulling off a victory here where he had scored two wins in a checkered pro career, had a three-under card after 11 holes but missed the green on the next for bogey before rebounding with back-to-back birdies from No. 14 for that 68.

A shot farther back at 69 were former leg winner Danny Zarate, last week’s joint runner-up Elmer Saban, Edwin Sanchez and amateur former Hong Kong Open winner Dante Becierra while a power-packed roster of players stood at 70, including Angelo Que, Artemio Murakami, Gerald Rosales, Jun Bernis, Albin Engino, Gene Bondoc, Anthony Fernando and ICTSI Orchard leg winner Benjie Magada.

But the day belonged to Pactolerin, down in 41st place in the Order of Merit ranking but hopes to move 20 notches higher with a victory in this ninth leg of the circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments which offers P200,000 to the champion.

“The key here is driving. When you hit it straight, it’s easy to reach the green with the short iron,” said Pactolerin, who salvaged what he described as a “good par” on the par-5 14th after two visits in the bunker. “So it will boil down to putting,”

He was lucky enough to have holed out without using his putter twice - on Nos. 1 and 6 when he knocked them in with his trusted 9-iron off the fringe.

Quiachon, No. 22 in the OOM, went five under with a birdie on No. 1 but dropped a stroke on No. 5 which he recovered with another birdie on the 8th.

Sinfuego, who missed just two fairways, one he was able with a superb punch shot from under the trees on No. 15 and the other he bogeyed on the 17th, had the most number of birdies - eight. But he fumbled with four bogeys, including two straight from No. 11.

Ababa, the low amateur in last week’s ICTSI Apo leg, actually anchored his superb round from a flawless backside stint from where he teed off that had him birdying four of the last five holes for a 32. But he stumbled with three bogeys in the first six holes at the front and needed to come up with that birdie-binge to preserve a round of 68.

Dacudao, a Davao native but member of the Del Monte team that won its maiden title in the PAL Interclub here in 2004, frolicked on a course he is so familiar with, birdying three of the last four holes and finding himself on an unfamiliar place.

The 54-hole event is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Jaguar, Land Rover, Studio 23, Balls TV, Srixon/Cleveland Golf, Callaway Golf, Odyssey and Golf Punk and media partners Business Mirror, Inquirer Golf Monthly, A Round of Golf, Pinoygolfer.com and Omnisource.