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4 share first round lead at Sherwood Hills


TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite—Asian Tour campaigners Mars Pucay, Antonio Lascuna and Elmer Salvador plus Gene Bondoc each turned in a four-under-par 68 to hold joint leadership in the first round of the P1-million Sherwood Hills Classic held at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club. Pucay, still winless in the on-going 16-leg Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) circuit, birdied the par-five 12th hole—one of the hardest holes in the windy, par-72 Jack Nicklaus signature course—then connected on a pair on the 14th and 15th to set in motion a three-under at the break. The former tee boy from Benguet opened with three pars in the front nine before he canned another birdie on the fourth. He had a birdie on the eighth hole before ending with a bogey on the ninth where his second shot from 195 yards landed on the tall rough beside the green. Still, Pucay liked his good wind-up at the perfectly-conditioned layout prepared by Sherwood Hills for the ICTSI-PGT's 12th leg. "The fairways and greens were in pretty shape, notwithstanding that typhoon Pedring battered Sherwood a few days ago. I enjoyed my round here," said Pucay, whose best finish came at the ICTSI Malarayat and Aboitiz Invitational legs. Antonio Lascuna, another Asian Tour veteran, checked in among the early finishers with a four-under 68 in the company of Gene Bondoc. They took the provisional lead but was related to second after Pucay's performance. Starting at the back nine, Lascuna birdied Nos. 10 from six feet, No. 13 from 12 feet and No. 16 from 15 feet before limping home with a bogey on the 18th where he missed the green on his 140-yard second shot then bungled a save for par inside seven feet. Lascuna, now at his prime at 40, came through with three more birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 8 before he closed with a bogey on the ninth, where he missed the fairway and the green in regulation. "My game was pretty okay. I just had my swing checked because I haven't been driving off well. I'm still adjusting to the new one. Hopefully, I will do better (Friday)," said Lascuna, whose driving has been off form since the Macau Open a few weeks ago. In the same flight with Lascuna, Bondoc, who has not won a single victory in the on-going PGT, was at six-under heading to No. 9. However, he failed to get a grip of the overall leadership with a double bogey after he three—putted the ninth. Cassius Casas, runner up in the ICTSI Riviera Classic, submitted a two-under 70 as did Danny Zarate, Marvin Dumandan and Elmer Saban to hold joint fifth. At one-under 71 was unheralded Randy Garalde. — Adrian Flores/JVP, GMA News
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