Juvic Pagunsan slipped to a share of sixth place after shooting a one-over-par 71 in the second round of the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheyo Masters 2022 in Japan Friday.
The 44-year-old Filipino mixed two birdies with the same number of bogeys to drop to 3-under in the company of Australian Brad Kennedy, American Chan Kim and Japanese Kenshiro Ikegami, Tomoyo Ikemura, Ryosuke Kinoshita and Rikuya Hoshino.
Kennedy fired a 66 while Kim shot a 70.
Ikegami and Ikemura each had a 68, Kinoshita posted a 69 and Hoshino sizzled for a 65.
Alone on top on 8-under 132 was Japanese Hiroshi Iwata who carded a second-straight 66.
Three Japanese were tied for second on 134 — Ryo Katsumata, Ryo Ishikawa and Taiga Semikawa.
Katsumata and Semikawa returned similar 67s while Ishikawa submitted a 66.
Japanese Naoto Nakanishi was in solo fifth on 135 after a 71.
Meanwhile, Frankie Minoza shot a second-straight two-under-par 70 to settle for fifth place at the close of the Singha-SAT Boonchu Ruangkit Invitation Tour 2022 at the Rancho Charnvee Resort and Country Club in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
The 62-year-old Filipino legend completed 54 holes on 7-under 209, 15 shots behind Prayad Marskaeng who closed with a 65.
Minoza, who will fly home to compete in the ICTSI Match Play Championship next week, opened with a birdie and added two more on 5 and 6.
After eight straight pars, Minoza closed with a bogey.
Edison Tabalin, who won the boys’ 15-18 title in the recent Singha Thailand Junior World Championship, carried the bag for the Filipino legend.
Marksaeng collected five birdies to cap a superb week in which he did not drop a single shot.
Simon Yates finished second, 10 shots off Marksaeng. He turned in a 66.
Thais Udon Duangdecha and Nachimuthu Ramasamy tied for third on 11-under following identical 69s.
