Pagunsans share 36-hole Riviera lead

Juvic Pagunsan bogeyed three of his last eight holes on Thursday for a second straight even par 71 to fall into a tie with uncle Rey after 36 holes of the  ICTSI Riviera Golf Challenge at the complex’ Langer layout in Silang, Cavite.

The Japan Tour veteran could not hold it together after a brilliant eagle-spiked 33 in his first nine—the back nine—as he bogeyed Nos. 2, 5 and 9 with conditions continuing to be demanding, for a 142 aggregate.

Rey Pagunsan, on the other hand, returned a 72 after two of his three bogeys came coming home, even as American Lexus Keoninh also fired a 72 to be a shot behind the joint leaders like the Philippine-based Guido van der Valk of the Netherlands.

Van Der Valk also matched par, even as only two players submitted sub-par scores with Thailand’s Sutijet Kooratanapisan shooting a week-best 69 to be three behind, and Australia’s Damien Jordan assembling a 70 to tie Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia at 144. Stojanovski shot a 72.

Conditions were so severe that defending champion and reigning Order of Merit champion Jobim Carlos and former OOM winner Clyde Mondilla missed the cut.

Carlos and Mondilla tallied 36-hole efforts of 155 and missed the cut by three strokes.