Lascuna joint 6th; Westwood fires 60

MANILA, Philippines - Tony Lascuna shot a three-under par 69 and put himself in early contention at the start of the $1 million Thailand Golf Championship paced by world No. 3 Lee Westwood’s sizzling 12-under 60 in Chonburi, Thailand yesterday.

Lascuna tamed the backside of the Amata Spring Country Club with four birdies against a bogey for that 69 as he emerged the top Filipino at joint sixth after Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Juvic Pagunsan faltered in the $1 million event.

Pagunsan, who vowed to go all-out for the win to cap a dream season, never recovered from a poor start of 40 and wound up with a 76.

Frankie Miñoza, the first Filipino to win the Asian Tour OOM crown in 1990, matched par 72, the same output put in by Mars Pucay, while Angelo Que had a two-over card after 14 holes. He fell to joint 100th and in danger of missing the cut.

Westwood stamped his class with a fiery start of five straight birdies then added six more in the next 10 holes before holing out with another birdie to post a five-stroke lead over John Daly, who shot an equally impressive seven-under 65.