MANILA, Philippines – Golfer Juvic Pagunsan has officially qualified to the Tokyo Olympics next month and became the 13th Filipino to do so.
And expect Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan to follow suit next week.
The 43-year-old Pagunsan formally earned an Olympic berth yesterday after finishing at 50th spot of the 60 who will compete in the men’s competition set July 29 to Aug. 1 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan.
The 2021 Japan Golf Tour’s Mizuno Cup champion thus became the first Filipino golfer to make the Olympic cut as the women’s qualifiers will only be announced a week from now.
And Saso, the reigning US Women’s Open champion, and Pagdanganan will earn their slots too when the final 60-player composition will be announced a week from now.
The two Filipinas have practically booked slots being ranked Nos. 8 and 42, respectively.
The women’s event is set August 4-7 at the same course.
Pagunsan also joined pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Caloy Yulo, boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando, rower Cris Nievarez, jin Kurt Barbosa, skateboarder Margie Didal and shooter Jayson Valdez.
The only possibility left that could bar Pagunsan from seeing action in the Summer Games is if he decides to join the British Open, which is set July 11-18 or just over a week from the Tokyo tilt, instead.
But National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) secretary-general Bones Floro assured last week that Pagunsan is bent on choosing the Olympics first before anything else.