Juvic eyes 3rd PGT title at Mimosa

MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan sets out for his third title on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour next week as he leads the chase for the top P200,000 purse in the ICTSI Mimosa Golf Challenge starting Nov. 8 at the par-72 Mimosa Golf and Country Club in Clark, Pampanga.

Pagunsan continues to lead the field in the Order of Merit despite his second round pullout due to allergy in the last leg at ICTSI-Royal Northwoods last month where he stood just two shots off joint leaders Marvin Dumandan and Tony Lascuna in the first round.

Dumandan went on to rule the P1 million event, nipping Lascuna in the second playoff hole and jumping from No. 11 to seventh in the OOM ranking heading into the last two legs of the 13-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Pagunsan nears the P1 million mark with earnings of P917,332, topped by two victories at ICTSI-Riviera and ICTSI-Apo with Jay Bayron, who won the Aboitiz Invitational in Cebu last August, benefitting from the former’s withdrawal to close in with P830,817 winnings.

Artemio Murakami is in third with P730,310 followed by ICTSI-Forest Hills winner Mars Pucay (P668,017), Lascuna (P609,964), reigning RP Open champion and ICTSI-Malarayat winner Elmer Salvador (P574,344), Dumandan (531,973), Ferdie Aunzo (P479,664), ICTSI-Del Monte leg champion Cassius Casas (P418,769) and Angelo Que (P404,571).

Pagunsan is actually going for a second OOM victory after he snatched the title in the just concluded Mercedes Benz tour by mere $77 over Malaysian shotmaker Nicholas Fung.

The 32-year-old Pagunsan placed fifth in last week’s Benz Tour’s last leg in Indonesia and finished the 10-leg circuit with $25,450 where he saw action in seven legs.

“It’s a great relief to finish No. 1. It was close but it takes a lot of concentration to be able to stay in front and I am proud of that,” said Pagunsan.

He hopes to stay focused again in the 54-hole tournament at Mimosa which is expected to provide the men of the tour a different kind of challenge, this being the first time that the challenging, rolling layout will host a leg on the ICTSI-PGT circuit. Also on tap is the pro-am tournament on Nov. 9 with the leading pros teaming up with the invited amateur guests from the chief backers of the event 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 BusinessMirror, Inquirer Golf Monthly, A Round of Golf, Pinoygolfer.com and Omnisource.