Pagunsan, Que limp with 4-over

Juvic Pagunsan’s bumpy campaign in the Japan PGA Tour extended to another week as he limped with a four-over 75 and in danger of missing the cut in the JGTC Mori Building Cup Shishido Hills led by Yoshitaka Takeya in Ibaraki yesterday.

Coming off an imposing breakthrough win in the Mizuno Open at the JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, which he mastered with a 17-under total, in Okayama last week, the smooth-swinging Bacolod ace found the par-71 Shishido West layout not to his liking, limping with three bogeys and a double bogey with only a birdie to show in a 39-36 card.

With compatriot Angelo Que also submitting a four-over card, the Filipino bets fell way below at joint 102nd, needing to churn out a pair of low rounds in Friday’s second round to entertain hopes of salvaging spots into the weekend play of the Y150 million event.

The four-day championship also serves as Pagunsan’s final tournament before the June 21 deadline of the Olympic men’s qualifying although the former Asian Tour No. 1 current ranking of No. 50 virtually secures him a spot among the Top 60 set to play in the Tokyo Games on 29 July to 1 August.

Pagunsan missed the cut in Japan Players Championship last month but rallied to place second in the Asia Pacific Diamond Cup the following week but failed to advance again in the inaugural Golf Partner Pro-Am before dominating the Mizuno Open field.

That victory netted him a coveted berth in the British Open in July and shoved him to No. 50 in the Olympic ranking.

Que, who also shot a lone birdie against five bogeys, is likewise hoping to clinch the other berth for the Philippines in the quadrennial games via backdoor although his poor start all but crushed his bid.

The four-day championship also serves as Pagunsan’s final tournament before the June 21 deadline of the Olympic men’s qualifying.