Old, new of best in Phl golf show way

CANLUBANG, Philippines – Three-time champion Angelo Que and veteran Frankie Miñoza birdied the tough par-3 17th in separate flights to shoot a pair of 68s as they joined teener Miguel Tabuena in a crowded leaderboard at the start of the P5 million The Country Club Invitational at the TCC layout here yesterday.

Que, out to rebound from a joint fourth place finish last year after scoring back-to-back victories from 2010, birdied two of the first six holes but fumbled with back-to-back bogeys linking both nines before coming through with two birdies in the last four for a 34-34 card at the long par-70 wind-swept layout.

“It was not that great today (yesterday) but my putting was good, I hope to do better in the coming days,” said Que, who rolled in an eight-footer on the 17th to gain a share of the lead.

Miñoza, who lost to defending champion Juvic Pagunsan in sudden death in the 2008 final, also went two-under after 14 holes but reeled back with a bogey on the 15th before matching Que’s birdie on the 17th and a 34-34 round.

“I just tried to go out there despite the harsh conditions,” said the 51-year-old Miñoza, who flashed his old brilliance against the country’s best and young turks in the event which stakes a record top purse of P1.5 million.

Tabuena, who primed up for this event by joining the recent Asian Tour Q-School in Thailand, rebounded from a shaky one-over 36 with a 32, spiking his fiery windup with birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 16, for that 68 that for awhile stood as the day’s best until Que and Miñoza came in with their own two-under cards.

“I don’t need to be there (Q-School) but I still attended it to shake the rust of the holiday season,” said Tabuena, a two-leg winner in last year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

But four players, including the fancied Pagunsan, stood just a shot behind with 69s, while one matched par 70 and three others turned in similar 71s in a wild first round action in the country’s premier golf event sponsored by ICTSI chair and CEO Ricky Razon in honor of his father ICTSI founder Enrique “Don Pocholo” Razon Sr.

Meanwhile, TCC board member Chito Alarilla and ICTSI PR manager Narlene Soriano graced the launching of the 17-leg ICTSI PGT during awards rites of the pro-am tournament Wednesday. The 2013 season will start at Sherwood Hills in Cavite on March 18-23 and will again end at Wack Wack on Nov. 19-23.

Succumbing to first round pressure, windy condition and tough pin placements were former champion Artemio Murakami, who shot a record-setting 62 in posting a 13-stroke romp, also a record, over Que in 2009, who skied to an 82 and Asian Tour campaigner Mars Pucay, who had a 74.

Dottie Ardina also shot a 74 while ICTSI-TCC teammates Lovelynn Guioguio had a 75, Jayvie Agojo made a 76 and Cyna Rodriguez groped for a 77.

Pagunsan, who with Que is chasing a record fourth crown in the annual event also serving as the kick-off leg of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, bucked his bogey mishaps on the par-5 No. 2 and the long par-4 No. 8 with three birdies in a 10-hole stretch then preserved his one-under card with clutch par putts in the closing holes.

Orlan Sumcad, one of the tour’s long hitters, used his power to set up short iron shots that produced a four-under card in a three-hole stretch from No. 12, including an eagle on the par-4 13th, that put him alongside Pagunsan after going two-over after 10.

“Frankie (Miñoza) used to tell me not to give up and keep on fighting because that one, big weekend will come,” said Sumcad.

Rufino Bayron, who won a pro leg as an amateur five years ago, turned in the most impressive start from among the elite 37-player field, that included four members of the ICTSI-TCC ladies team, as he birdied three of the first five holes in impressive fashion. But he bogeyed three of the next seven and needed another birdie on the 13th and a slew of pars to catch up with Pagunsan and Sumcad.

Jay Bayron, the reigning ADT Order of Merit winner, later made it a four-way tie for fourth as he birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to finish with a 37-32 card while Carl Santos-Ocampo, who scored a breakthrough on the ICTSI-PGT at Rancho Palos Verdes last year, lay in solo eighth with an even 70.

Elmer Salvador also rallied with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to salvage a one-over 71 for a share of ninth with power hitters Rey Pagunsan and Clyde Mondilla while Tony Lascuña, the reigning OOM champion who is coming off a come-from-behind win in Sabah Masters last month, double-bogeyed the finishing par-4 hole and tumbled with a 72, four shots off the pace.

“Just got unlucky on the final hole,” said Lascuña, who miscalculated his approach shot against the wind on the hazard-laden 18th.

Other two-over par scorers were Ferdie Aunzo, Anthony Fernando and inaugural TCC Invitational champion Cassius Casas.