Juvic bucks strong winds, catches Jayvie

CANLUBANG ,Philippines  – Juvic Pagunsan came through with clutch birdies at the back to turn in a one-under 69 and tie amateur Jayvie Agojo at the helm as Elmer Salvador lost grip of the lead with a wobbly windup halfway through The Country Club Invitational at the TCC layout here yesterday.

With the dreaded TCC wind blowing from all over right at tee-off, the elite field endured a day-long struggle at one of the country’s toughest courses with Salvador, who surged ahead with a fiery 32 at the front, caught by the gusts in the last flight and bogeyed two of the last four holes, dropping out of the lead despite a 69.

Pagunsan, who signed in second-to-last flight with Carl Santos-Ocampo and Orlan Sumcad, salvaged a par on the tough finishing hole, sealing a closing 34 and a 69 for a 36-hole aggregate of 139.

But the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion and local tour’s No. 1 player refused to be interviewed and stormed out the tent house at the posh TCC compound and into the putting green.

He earlier flubbed a 12-footer for birdie and wound up with a bogey instead on the long par-4 No. 8 then threw the ball in disgust. But he settled down in time even after dropping another stroke on No. 11, making two birdies in the last six holes to put himself in a very familiar place.

Agojo showed up the men of the tour with a 69 at the white tees Thursday but reeled back with a 36 after nine holes. But the reigning Hong Kong Am Open champion and spearhead of the ICTSI ladies golf team rebounded with a birdie on No. 12 and came through with gutsy pars the rest of the way to save a 70 for the other 139.

Salvador, who had a 71 in the opener of the P4.5 million event put up by ICTSI chair and CEO Ricky Razon, was awesome in the early going, coming through with back-to-back birdies from No. 2 and ramming in another birdie on No. 7. But he stumbled as the wind whipped up even more at the back, dropping a stroke on No. 15 and losing another shot on the 18th after missing the greeen.

He had a 140, one stroke off the joint leaders heading to the weekend play where condition is expected to get a little bit tougher and the fancied bets tipped to make their moves to fuel their respective bids for the top P1.4 million purse.

“I think I need to play safe from start to finish for me to get a chance of winning here because Juvic is playing great,” said Salvador, who also shot a 32 at the front in the first round only to falter in the end, bogeying No. 18 for the second straight day.

Twenty pros made the cut at 149 with 2010 OOM winner Jay Bayron and Miguel Tabuena out with 151s after similar 76s.

Santos-Ocampo, chasing a breakthrough in a young pro career, put himself in contention with a 142 after a 70 while former champions Artemio Murakami, Tony Lascuna and Cassius Casas staying in the hunt for a second crown with 144s.

Murakami, the 2009 winner who regained his Asian Tour card this year, rallied with two birdies in the last five holes to card a 70, Lascuna, who reigned here in 2004, made clutch par putts in the last five holes for a 71, while Casas, the inaugural champion in 2003, flashed vintage form with three birdies in the last five holes for a 70.

Joining the troika in fifth are Mars Pucay, who matched par 70, and Rufino Bayron, who turned in a 72.

Frankie Miñoza, who lost in a playoff to Pagunsan in 2006, also birdied No. 17 to shoot a 72 but the former two-time Philippine Open champion and Asia’s No. 1 in 1990 stood six shots off the pace at 145 in the company of Jerson Balasabas, who made four straight birdies from No. 14 to save a 72.

“I was playing bad before that birdie binge, I’m glad I hit those birdies otherwise I’ll be cut,” said Balasabas.

Angelo Que, the defending back-to-back champion seeking his fourth TCC Invitational crown, failed to recover from a woeful 75 with a 73 despite two birdies in the last three holes. He was too far off at 148 in a tie with Marvin Dumandan (72), Jun Bernis (73), Gerald Rosales (72) and Dante Becierra (74).

With a 140, Agojo also pulled away in the amateur division, posting a seven-stroke lead over reigning Queen Sirikit Cup champion Dottie Ardina, who made a 72 for solo 12th overall at 146, while Lovelynn Guioguio shot a 75 for a 147 to tie Princess Superal, who stumbled with a 76, in 13th place.