Quiban hobbles with 73 in PGA Tour debut

MANILA, Philippines – Justin Quiban blew whatever momentum or confidence he might have built following his inspiring Monday qualifier performance as he stumbled early and limped to a 73 in a rather shaky PGA Tour debut in the 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota Thursday (Friday, Manila time).

Ricky Fowler, Troy Merritt and Jhonattan Vegas shot identical 64s at the par-71 TPC Twin Cities Golf Club to seize the clubhouse lead at the start of the $6.6 million championship that stranded 11 players due to inclement weather. Scott Stallings and Adam Schenk each fired a 65 while Roger Solan posted a six-under card with two holes to play.

Quiban had high hopes in a cherished stint with some of the world’s elite in the 72-hole championship that featured the likes of world No. 2 Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau, Louis Oosthuizen, and other major winners Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Gary Woodland following a third place finish in the final elims.

But pressure began to mount for the 25-year-old Filipino shotmaker right after he parred the first hole from three feet as he dropped two shots on the par-4 No. 2 after hitting his approach shot from 172 yards to the right rough and three-putting from around 30 feet.

He rescued a par from the bunker on the next and rolled in a 27-footer for birdie on the par-3 fourth and gained another stroke on the next from five feet.

But after three pars, he missed the ninth green and muffed a five-footer for par. Though he recovered the stroke on the par-5 12th, he bogeyed the par-3 next off the bunker and flubbed an eight-footer for par on the closing par-5 18th for a 36-37 and provisional share of 126th place in the 156-player field.

A tougher test awaits Quiban in the second round following a switch in tee times. He will start at 2:12 p.m. on No. 10, still with Chris Baker of the US and South African MJ Daffue, who opened with a fiery 66 and 69, respectively.

Meanwhile, Oosthuizen, who tied for third in last week's British Open which he led after three rounds, fired a 68 while Johnson, Reed and Garcia turned in similar 70s and Finau and Watson wavered with identical 72s.