Que cards 71 as wind blows

CANLUBANG – Defending champion Angelo Que lived through a windy day and scrambled with a one-over par 71 to seize a one-shot lead over fancied Frankie Miñoza, former Philippine Open champion Elmer Salvador and Omar Dungca at the start of the rich The Country Club Invitational at the TCC course here yesterday.

The 32-year-old Que, who beat Juvic Pagunsan by five strokes to win his second crown last year, came out virtually unscathed in brutal conditions with constant drizzle and the howling, cool wind blowing from all over, sending the scores soaring and some of the big names struggling.

“It was also windy yesterday (Wednesday) but today (yesterday) the wind was three times stronger so imagine how hard it is for us to even come up with an even-par score,” said Que.

The elite 48-player field, including 12 amateurs, also had to contend with the sleek putting surface with pars proving to be an exception rather than a rule for such a star-studded roster chasing the top P1.4 million purse out of a total prize fund of P4.7 million.

Lovelynn Guioguio actually fired a similar 71 but from the white tee as she shared the opening day honors with Que while pacing the amateur side that includes Asian Games silver medalist Miguel Tabuena and ICTSI team spearheads Chihiro Ikeda and Dottie Ardina.

Miñoza, priming up for this year’s US Seniors Champions Tour, put himself in early contention with a 72 to tie Salvador and the unfancied Dungca, who actually showed up the field with a solid 33 at the front only to succumb to pressure and demanding condition at the back.

“I’m happy with my score, it’s still too early and anything can happen,” said Miñoza, who lost to Pagunsan in a title playoff in the 2006 staging of the annual event put up by golf patron Ricky Razon, chairman and CEO of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Salvador made two 36s on three bogeys against a lone birdie while Dungca blew a sterling 33 at the front as he fumbled with four bogeys at the back and missed pacing a star-studded field in the 72-hole championship also serving as the kickoff leg of this year’s ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.

Marvin Dumandan, a three-leg winner on the ICTSI-PGT circuit last year, shot a 73 for a share of sixth place with Michael Bibat and another lady amateur in Andrea Unson, who rallied at the frontside with a 34.

Ferdie Aunzo, Elmer Saban and former Phl Ladies Open winner Jayvie Agojo, another amateur, stood in joint ninth with 74s while the fancied troika of former winners Pagunsan, Artemio Murakami, Cassius Casas and Tony Lascuña carded similar 75s, each one failing to hit as many birdies as they used to.

Que also missed in his hunt for birdies, settling for five straight pars in the early going until he ran into trouble on the par-3 No. 6 and the par-5 No. 9 and ended up with bogeys.

But the power-hitting shotmaker, winner of the Selangor Masters on the Asian Tour last year, regained his bearing in time, hitting two birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 10 only to stumble with another bogey on the 16th.

Murakami, the reigning Phl Open champion, dished out a steady game at the front but bogeyed five of the last nine holes and dropped in the company of Pagunsan.

“I was doing okay at the start but bad things happen after at the back. It was really a bad day. Thankfully, it’s just the first round and I’m not that far from the leaders,” said Murakami.