Korean, ‘other’ Pagunsan outshine Tour’s big guns

TAGAYTAY, Philippines – Seok Jun Min and Rey Pagunsan teed off last but emerged on top at day’s end with the Korean firing a six-under 66 for a one-stroke lead over the veteran local shotmaker at the start of the ICTSI Splendido Classic here yesterday.

Seok and Pagunsan went on a virtual shootout when half of the starting 71-player field were wrapping up their respective rounds, matching 31s at the front before the Korean took the lead with a final hole birdie in the P2 million event sponsored by ICTSI.

Make it three unfancied bets as Michael Bibat also churned out a solid start at Splendido Taal Golf Club’s easier frontside, shooting a 68, just a stroke off Pagunsan’s eagle-spiked 67 in the opener of the 14th leg of the circuit earlier tipped to be dominated by the top guns who split the last two titles at Riviera and ICTSI Classic via playoffs.

Bibat, seeking a follow up to his breakthrough win at Rancho Palos Verdes in 2013, actually went six-under with a four-foot birdie putt on No. 16. But he dumped his tee shot into the bunker on the par-3 17th and wound up with a double-bogey and slid to third.

“I’ve been playing solid until I got a bad break in the bunker on the 17th,” said Bibat, who birdied Nos. 2 and 3 inside three feet then rolled in a 20-footer on the fourth. He missed a four-footer on the seventh and an eight-foot uphiller on the ninth but tapped in for birdie on the 10th after missing an eagle putt from six feet and made an up-and-down birdie on the 11th.

Seok, who missed the cut at Aboitiz and tied for 26th at Riviera, and Pagunsan, who missed the cut last week and tied for 20th at Riviera and placed joint 33rd in Negros Occidental, slugged it out at the front with the former birdying the first two holes and then adding birdies on Nos. 5, 7 and 9 for a 31.

Pagunsan, a noted long hitter, eagled the par-5 No. 2 then birdied Nos. 4 and 5 before closing out with another birdie to match Seok’s five-under start. They both birdied No. 11 but Pagunsan fell back with a bogey on No. 14 and Seok followed suit after missing the 15th green. But the Korean recovered quickly and holed out with a birdie to seize control.

But while most used the front nine as their scoring base, Tony Lascuña failed to go under and settled for a 36 although he had earlier gunned down three birdies at the back to anchor his 69 in a tie with Jhonnel Ababa and American Micah Shin.

Jay Bayron, back-to-back winner at Aboitiz Invitational and ICTSI Riviera Classic, checked an impending skid at the front with back-to-back closing birdies to card a 70 and join brother Rufino Bayron and Mhark Fernando at seventh.

Clyde Mondilla, who nipped Orlan Sumcad in a bizarre playoff duel last weekend, groped for form and hobbled with a 74 for joint 24th, including Sumcad and Marvin Dumandan.