Juvic Pagunsan stumbles out of top 20 in Olympics men’s golf
Philippines’ Juvic Pagunsan plays a shot from the bunker on the 18th hole in round 2 of the men’s golf individual stroke play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe on July 30, 2021. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines–Juvic Pagunsan dropped to a tie for 25th place after shooting a two-over 73 in the second round of the men’s individual golf competition of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday at Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Bogeys on holes No. 5 and No. 8 plus two more at the back nine spoiled a promising start to the tournament and dropped the Filipino to three-under-par overall as he fell 20 places down the standings.
Inclement weather halted the proceedings for nearly two hours and the lull failed to recharge Pagunsan, who struggled to find the same kind of bearing he had in when he assembled a first-round 66.
The 43-year-old is now eight shots off the lead going into Saturday’s third round.
Xander Schauffele, who finished 12th in the first round, ended the second round at the top at 11-under-par
after a 63 while Mexico’s Carlo Ortiz came in at second at 10-under-par after a 67.
Austria’s Sepp Straka, who topped the first round, dropped to a tie for third after an even 71. He is tied at eight-under with Mito Pereira of Chile, Alex Noren of Sweden, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.
