Juvic Pagunsan carries weight of No. 1 ranking into TCC

MANILA, Philippines—A lot is now expected from Juvic Pagunsan.

Usually starting out each year as one of the Philippines’ top pros, Pagunsan will head into the country’s first big event—The Country Club Invitational—as Asia’s No. 1 and will be one of the men to watch in the P4.5 million event.

With stints in the Japanese PGA and the British Open lined up this year, Pagunsan is expected to come out with his A-Game not only because of the huge champion’s purse but to also stamp his class in the elite field.

Pagunsan will also have to deal with the challenge of the wind-swept layout in Laguna, the way he did in 2006 and 2008 and become the event’s first three-time winner.

Pagunsan will be coming off a great year, one which saw him win four events in the local ICTSI Tour before finishing second to Fernando Gonzales-Castano of Spain in the Barclay’s Open in Singapore to win the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit title.

Angelo Que, meanwhile, is shooting to win the event for the third straight year. Only Que and Pagunsan have won the event more than once.

And Pagunsan will be coming into the event as prepared as he can be.

“I’ve been working on my game and physical conditioning,” Pagunsan said. “Competition is always tough in the TCC and for sure, I will be going all out to win for the third time. This event is always close to my heart.”