Pagunsan opens with two-shot lead at MB Masters Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia — Filipino Juvic Pagunsan scored an eight-under-par 64 in the first round of the $80,000 Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia at the Emeralda Golf and Country Club. Pagunsan, the leader of the MB Tour’s Order of Merit (OOM) race with $22,450, played the season-ending tournament with such precision that he made birdies in bunches and in succession. He played the front nine at five under, helped along by birdies from the second to fourth holes. The 32-year-old Bacolod native added five more birdies inside 10 feet in the next 12 holes, giving him a two-shot lead against Thailand’s Borwon Chaisri, who made a six-under 66. "I woke up at the right side of the bed. This is definitely one of the best rounds of the year. I felt very, very good that at one point I knew I could not do anything wrong," Pagunsan said. Pagunsan seems to like playing in Indonesia, since he also won the Indonesia President Invitational in 2007. With the Asian Tour still elusive this year, he is hoping to finish 2010 atop the MB Tour OOM. "The victory in Thailand did a lot for my confidence. I had made some swing changes then and they are still paying off today. Winning the Merit title, though, is very much on my mind right now, but I am not letting it make me nervous," Pagunsan said. Seriously threatening Pagunsan’s drive were compatriots Artemio Murakami and Antonio Lascuna with a four-under 68 each. Later in the afternoon, they were joined by the Thai pair of Namchok Tantipokhakul and Wittawat Sae-ung. Murakami had three birdies but reeled back with bogeys on the par-fours of the third and ninth for a one-under at the turn. He came through with three more birdies to position himself for the crown as well. Lascuna canned six birdies to negate dropped consecutive shots on the fourth and fifth. Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung, who is third on the Merit race with earnings of US$21,373, submitted a 69. He won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam, the circuit’s first Match Play event, at the beginning of the month for his maiden victory as a professional. Fung is determined to go for the win after having been banned for two years by the Asian Tour since he played for another tour—the OneAsia—which failed to get the sanction of the Asian Tour. "I have had a great first season. The Mercedes-Benz Tour has provided me with the perfect place to start my career. I also made the cut in the Indonesia Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta and the Thailand Open on OneAsia, so there are some fantastic tournaments for me to play in," he said. Other Filipinos in the fold are Ferdie Aunzo (69), Cassius Casas (70), Mars Pucay (71), Jay Bayron (71), Rey Pagunsan (73), Gene Bondoc (73), Michael Bibat (74), amateur Jessie Balasabas (75), Marvin Dumandan (76), Anthony Fernando (76), and amateurs Dante Becierra (77) and Carl Ocampo (78). – Adrian Flores/JVP/KY, GMANews.TV