Pagunsan 7 back in opening round of Panasonic Open

Juvic Pagunsan finished with an even par 71 to lay seven shots adrift from South Africa's Jbe Kruger's superb seven-under-par 64 at the start of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The 33-year-old Pagunsan is making the most of his time abroad after he was recently suspended from the local ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour for disciplinary action. Angelo Que is also in the field of the $1.7-million tournament, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, but he was at two-over 73 at the Biwako Country Club. Japanese Daisuke Maruyama and Kenichi Kubota and Koreans Bae Sang-moon and S.K. Ho were tied for second to fifth place with 67 each. Asian Tour veteran Prom Meesawat of Thailand shot a 68 in a share of sixth spot with five others. — Adrian Flores/JVP, GMA News