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LIPA CITY: Burly Erwin Estrera and former Philippine
Open champion Cassius Casas assembled identical four-under-par 68s
under calm conditions Tuesday to share the opening round lead of the
Pantechs PGAP Invitational along with two others.
Mars Pucay and Asian Tour veteran
Antonio Lascuna, on the strength of an eagle-aided 32 coming home,
also churned out their versions of a 68 in the event presented by
Jun Bustamante to lead a four-man group that turned in 69s.
Estrera, the other half the
Konica Pro-Am champion team, mixed six birdies with two bogeys in a
33-35 card over at the Mount Malarayat’s composite Mount Malipunyo
and Mount Makulot nines.
Pucay, the long-hitting former
bag-toter from Baguio, had a 33-35, while Lascuna, the former The
Country Club champ, smoked his homeward trip, nailing a short putt
for a 3 on the 514-yard, par-5 16th hole.
Unheralded Ibarra Quiachon threw
away a 31 in his front side by stumbling with a 38 at the back, his
69 leaving him tied with Erwin Sanchez (34-35), Orlan Sumcad (36-33)
and Rey Pagunsan (36-33) one shot behind the leaders.
Former Philippine Am champion
Artemio Murakami had a 70 (36-34) and was a further stroke back like
Richard Sinfuego and Richard Abaring.
Juvic Pagunsan, the Asian
Tour’s top rookie last year, fired a 71, while Elmer Salvador, who
is chasing a hat trick here, turned in a level 72 like Juanito
Pagunsan, the senior campaigner who had nines of 38-34.
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