Juvic wavers, 4 shots adrift

MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan slowed down with a one-over 72 despite gunning down an eagle as the ace Filipino shotmaker dropped from joint seventh to a share of 18th, four shots off Aussie Adam Bland halfway through the Asia Pacific Diamond Cup Golf in Ibaraki, Japan yesterday.

The long-hitting Pagunsan recovered from an opening bogey at the backside of the Otone Country Club’s West course with an eagle on the par-5 No. 14 but floundered at the front with a bogey on No. 1 and a double-bogey on No. 8 against a birdie on the third and made three save pars.

With a 72 and a 69, Pagunsan pooled a 141 for joint 18th with eight others but remained in the hunt for the top purse of $318,987 with two rounds left in the $1.4 million event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan PGA Tour.

Angelo Que also wavered at the front after an impressive 34 at the back and a birdie on No. 1, bogeying Nos. 5 and 8 to settle for a one-under 70 although the three-time Asian Tour leg winner moved from 44th to a share of 27th at 142, five strokes adrift.

Bland pressed his bid with six birdies against two bogeys, his three-under 68 and a 137 shoving him to the top of the stellar field, one ahead of veteran Thai campaigner Prayad Marksaeng and Korea SK Ho, who had a 69 and 70, respectively, for 138s.

Koreans Baek Seuk-hyun and IJ Jang and China’s Liang Wen-chong shot identical 69s to share fourth place with Japanese Akio Sadakata (70) and Hiroyuki Fujita (71) at 139s while erstwhile leader Cameron Smith of Australia hobbed with a 74 to tumble to joint ninth at 140.