MANILA—Juvic Pagunsan, the Order of Merit runaway leader with four wins in 10 legs of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, has been suspended for the remaining six legs of this year’s circuit.
The Philippine Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, sacked Pagunsan for breach of the PGT guidelines on professional conduct after his last-minute withdrawal from the recent Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI in Cebu City.
A source said the crack golfer from Bacolod abandoned the Aboitiz tournament when organizers banned his personal caddy from carrying his bag during a practice round because he refused to register him as required by the Tour rules.
Pagunsan, the source added, later claimed an ailing foot was the reason for his withdrawal.
The Inquirer tried Sunday to get Pagunsan’s side on his suspension to no avail.
In suspending Pagunsan, Colo Ventosa, general manager of PGTI, cited Clause 10 of the PGT guidelines calling for the PGT to “maintain a strict ‘no tolerance’ policy on any behavior unbecoming of a professional.”
The provisions of the clause covers professional conduct, including failure to comply with appropriate etiquette, misbehavior, injurious conduct and other similar acts and omissions.
Before meting out the suspension, the PGTI conducted a thorough investigation on the complaints of Pagunsan’s actions and behavior.
ICTSI, Pagunsan’s corporate benefactor, also agreed to the suspension.
“As a professional golfer sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), you are expected to always conduct yourself in a professional manner as you are representing the ICTSI brand,” Ventosa said.
“Despite our guidance as your manager and promoter, and repeated stern verbal warnings on your acts in the past, our advice and instructions have fallen on deaf ears,” she added.
With Pagunsan out in the last six legs, a wide-open race for the coveted Order of Merit crown loomed starting with the ICTSI Riviera Classic beginning this Wednesday at Riviera’s Langer course in Silang, Cavite.
However, the suspension will not apply to Pagunsan’s overseas campaigns.
Jay Bayron is expected to benefit most from Pagunsan’s suspension as he moved up to second in the OOM race after topping the recent $65,000 million Aboitiz Invitational, which served as a leg of the Asian Development Tour.
From Riviera, the tour goes to Sherwood Hills, also in Cavite, for the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic on September 28-30, then to Villamor, which will host an ICTSI-PGT leg for the first time on October 19-21, for the ICTSI Villamor Classic.
The Calatagan layout in Batangas will make its debut in the circuit when it stages the ICTSI Calatagan Challenge on October 26-28, while Canlubang will host the penultimate leg on November 9-11 for the ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational.
The tour winds up at Wack Wack on November 23-25 for the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship.
Pagunsan had previously escaped sanction after pulling out of the ICTSI-Forest Hills Invitational in the middle of his round without informing the PGTI last year.
There was also an incident during a tournament in Malarayat when he deliberately missed the halfway cut by taking so many putts to hole out on the final hole because he was allegedly not happy with some Tour officials.