Pagunsan formalizes claim on Asian OOM
MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan formalized his claim on the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown with a solid joint ninth finish in the Hong Kong Open yesterday, making the circuit’s final leg in Thailand two weeks from now a mere coronation tournament.
Pagunsan shot a 68, snatching a top 10 finish at 274 while world No. 2 Rory McIlroy fired a 65 to claim the crown at 268.
Pagunsan’s impressive finish netted him $55,000 as he went unassailably ahead SSP Chowrasia of India with total winnings of $788,298 heading to the P1 million Thailand Championship on Dec. 15-18. Chowrasia has $444,528.
“It sounds really good,” said Pagunsan when told he had done enough to win the merit title. “It’s one of the biggest achievements in my entire life. It’s a big, big opportunity to win the Order of Merit.”
As Asia’s No. 1, the 33-year-old Pagunsan, also the Order of Merit champion of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, gets automatic ticket to next year’s British Open and the World Golf Championship.
Pagunsan thus became the second Filipino to clinch the OOM crown after Frankie Minoza in 1990.
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