Pagunsan, Agojo share CCI second-round lead

JUVIC Pagunsan caught up with erstwhile leader Jayvie Agojo as he sank a birdie on the 17th while Elmer Salvador crashed with a bogey on the final hole during the second round of the The Country Club Invitational yesterday at the TCC greens in Canlubang.

The elite field battled through harsh playing condition for the second straight day with the wind blowing from all over early morning until the last flight of Salvador, Ferdie Aunzo and Joenard Rates came in.

But Salvador, who surged ahead with a fiery 32 at the front, wavered coming home with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 18 and fell out of the lead despite a 69.

Pagunsan, who signed in a flight ahead with Carl Santos-Ocampo and Orlan Sumcad, salvaged a par on the tough finishing hole, sealing a closing 34 and a 69 for a 36-hole aggregate of 139.

His scorecard, however, showed a rollercoaster ride in the early going, where the ace shotmaker made three bogeys against two birdies in the first 11 holes before hitting a birdie on No. 13 and the 17th.

Agojo, who showed up the men of the tour with a 69 Thursday but reeled back with a 36 after nine holes, rebounded with a birdie on No. 12 and came through with gutsy pars the rest of the way to save a 70 for the other 139.

Salvador, who had a 71 in the opener was awesome in the early going, coming through with back-to-back birdies from No. 2 and ramming in another birdie on No. 7. But he stumbled as the wind whipped up even more at the back, dropping a stroke on No. 15 and losing another shot on the 18th. He had a 140, one stroke off the joint leaders heading to the weekend play.  Correspondent Jonas Panerio