Lascuña up by 1

Antonio Lascuña fired an eagle-spiked five-under-par 67 yesterday and took a one-shot lead over the fancied Juvic Pagunsan after the first 18 holes of the P1 million ICTSI Calatagan Challenge in Calatagan, Batangas.

Lascuña started off at No. 10 and got going with three four birdies before  overtaking Pagunsan in his afternoon round after Pagunsan had checked in with two eagles in his 68.

Pagunsan eagled the first two par-5s—the first and the fourth—for a 33-35 card with the veteran Benjie Magada firing a 69 to be another stroke back in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Mars Pucay was the last man under par at 71 while six others scored 72s as the Robert Trent Jones-designed gem played as tough as it could be and left a vast majority of those in the field shooting in the high 70s.

Among those who surprisingly failed to break 80 was teenage sensation Miguel Tabuena, the Sherwood Hills champion and runner-up to Jay Bayron in Baguio who had a bogey-riddled 41-39 card.

Bayron was in a three-man group that scored 75s with former PH Open champions Cassius Casas and Elmer Salvador lurking another shot behind together with four others, including Japanese Tomo Yoshinaga.

After placing eighth in the John Hay event in Baguio two weeks ago, Lascuña nailed  his eagle on the par-5 13th to make the turn at 34 before gunning down three straight birds from No. 4.

The event is being backed by Nike Golf, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon, Foot Joy, Callaway, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers, Cleveland Golf and Sharp with Balls, Studio 23, Pinoygolfer.com and Inquirer Golf as me-dia partners. Musong R. Castillo