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Thursday, December 08, 2005
Bayron, Juvic leads in golf tourney
JAY Bayron and Juvic Pagunsan waxed hot Wednesday and tamed the tricky par-61 Baguio Country Club golf course as they made three under 58 and one under 60, respectively to lead Nike to a 14 point lead at the start of their title retention bid for the Fil Championship in the 56th Fil-Am Invitational golf tournament.
Bayron's three under equivalent to 39 points in the Modified Pal Stableford format powered the Nike squad to 139 points warning all oppositions that the last minute entry team is dead serious to claim its second straight title.
Their counterparts at the Camp John Hay, on the other hand, may have shot an even-par for a144 points totals but was only three off Southwoods - Rudy Projects that portends an exciting match for the Am Championship crown.
Starting at the back nine, Bayron made his move in the front nine with a birdie on the par-4 second hole and two more at the par-4 fourth and eight en route to the tournament high 39 points.
"Medyo sinuwerte lang. Lahat ng putt pumapasok," said Bayron, a member of the South East Asian Games gold winning RP team.
Pagunsan, who was a flight down, then finished his game with a par at the ninth. He made one more birdie than Bayron on the 3rdm, the 8th, the difficult 11th and 18th but was cushioned by three bogeys on the par-4 second and back to back bogeys on the 12th and 13th.
Mario Labajo added 34 for the team, while Jun Bernis and Mark Fernando added 29 and 28 points, respectively, the latter did not count.
Erwin Vinluan, Anthony Fernando and Miko Yee scored 32 points a piece, while Tonton Asistio added 29 as Manila Southwoods made an opening 125 points to remain at second spot.
Del Monte toured the BCC lay-out with 118 points, while 2003 champion Mizuno DHL came in with 115 points to stay at fourth place.
Despite the 14-point lead, Pagunsan, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games individual gold medallist, remains circumspect about the outcome of the tournament. "Our score is already good. But I cannot say the outcome of the tournament, whether we will win or not, until the games are over," he said in Filipino.
"All of them are good," added Pagunsan who made the Fil-Am his last tournament as amateur before turning pro January next year.
Pagunsan and Bayron arrived here Tuesday afternoon and had no time to test the two courses because games in the lower flights have already started in the tournamentm which drew a record total of 1,029 players from 216 teams that came from six countries including the Philippines.
"Tignan na lang natin bukas," said a tired Pagunsan during the Latino night party Tuesday night for the players.
They were a last minute entry after declaring that they will not play last month because of the SEA Games schedule where two of its main men are mainstays.
But on November 18, five days before the start of tournament, they called in asking that they be included in the roster.
"We accepted them for the spirit of the game," said tournament co-chairmen Anthony de Leon of the BCC and Camp John Hay's Bong Vilchez.
Asistio closed at the ninth with a long face after a seven-over performance and bemoaning the difficulty of the course.
Del Monte mainstay Paul Minoza found the course too confusing saying repeatedly how his game turned bad after making 22 points and did not count for the 2004 PAL Interclub champion from Bukidnon.
Boyet Zaragosa equaled the 39 points production of Bayron at the par 69 CJH course and drew an even par for 36 from Dave Hernandez, 35 from Roni Torrecampo and a 34 from Jessie Balasabas.
Veteran Hanson So Jr. also broke par with 37 points and lead the Southwoods to a 141 total and three off the leader and defending Am Championship titlist.
Nestor Plana has an even par 69 for 36, while Michael peter Alejandro and SEA ames veteran Michael Bibat added 35 and 33 to count for Southwoods.
Royal Caribbean is at third spot with 137 points with Abe Avena and Iggy Clavecilla leading the cruise specialists with 37 and 35 points, respectively.
Mizuno is a far fourth with 115 points. (Pigeon Lobien)
(December 8, 2005 issue)
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