Juvic pulls away in Asian OOM race

HONG KONG—Juvic Pagunsan tightened his grip on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit (OOM) lead after the Filipino’s closest pursuer, India’s SSP Chowrasia, missed the halfway cut at the UBS Hong Kong Open on Friday.

Pagunsan fired a level-par 70 to stay in the Top 20 of the $2.75-million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

Chowrasia carded a 71 and missed by three shots the 36-hole cut with his five-over 145
total at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.

But Pagunsan was not prepared to pop the champagne bottle just yet, noting that with the top prize of $458,330, any player in the Top 15 of the OOM emerging as champ would keep the race to become Asia’s new No. 1 alive.

There is one event left after this week, the $1-million Thailand Golf Championship.

“I didn’t know that SSP has missed the cut,” said Pagunsan. “I still need to play well.”

The 33-year-old Filipino replaced Chowrasia as OOM leader with a runner-up finish at the $6-million Singapore Open recently.

Pagunsan, who had a 2-under 138 total, was hopeful he could still challenge the leaders at the UBS Hong Kong Open over the weekend as he trailed joint leaders Rory McIlroy of Ireland and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros by five strokes.

“It was freezing this morning,” said Pagunsan, second in the 2006 UBS Hong Kong Open.

Antonio Lascuña (144) and Mars Pucay (145) and also missed the 36-hole cut.

US Open champion McIlroy and Quiros shot 69s to stay tied for the lead at 133, a shot clear of England’s Richie Ramsay (66) and Thai Panuphol Pittayarat (65).