Hazards of the game
STA. ROSA, Laguna – He confidently stood on the 10th tee, did some pre-shot routine and aimed at the center of the par-5 hole.
After an uncharacteristic opening 77 that dropped him to joint 40th Wednesday, Juvic Pagunsan knew he needed to make a charge to get back into the thick of things in the Solaire Philippine Open.
But he pulled his drive.
Out-of-bounds.
Two more OBs on the same hole resulted in a horrific 11 and Pagunsan virtually kissed his bid – even for a spot in the last 36 holes of the $500,000 championship, much more for a crack at a first-ever Open crown – goodbye.
“It was as if I were in the (driving) range,” said Pagunsan in jest, upset but relieved after his ordeal at The Country Club in the second round of the country’s premier championship yesterday.
He did try to shake off the effects of that six-over score on one hole but failed to put his game back together, making three bogeys in the next five holes and dropping two strokes on the par-3 17th which he birdied in the first round.
Falling too far behind the race with an overall 16-over total, he just went through the motions at the front but still fumbled with a double bogey on the first and two more bogeys against a lone birdie on the par-4 No. 4, actually one of the most difficult holes at the Tom Weiskoph-designed layout.
Ending up with an 86, easily his worst score in a checkered career Pagunsan, 40, wound up tied at 104th among 131-players with a 19-over 263.
But he took it all in stride as he packed his stuff and left the course where he had reigned thrice as TCC Invitational champion.