Pagunsan shoots 70, trails leader by 4

MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan fought back with two birdies at the back to shoot a two-under 70 and trail leader Yasuharu Imano by four at the start of the Mizuno Open at the JFE Setonaikai Golf Club in Okayama, Japan yesterday.

Bouncing back from a missed cut stint at the Japan Golf Tour Championship last week, Pagunsan opened his bid in the $1.1 million event with a birdie only to reel back with back-to-back bogeys from No. 3 after missing the greens.

But he tapped in for birdie on the par-5 No. 6 and gunned down a pair of birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 while rescuing pars from five other times that he went out of regulation.

The ace Filipino shotmaker and former Asian Tour No. 1 stood in joint 16th with eight others, four shots off Imano, whose birdies on Nos. 1 and 3 sandwiched an eagle on the par-5 No. 2.

He went on to fire four more birdies to negate a two-bogey mishap for that 66.

He took a one-stroke lead over Brendan Jones, Shinji Tomimura and Ryuichi Oda.