A third Tour title is in the crosshairs of the Philippines’ top pro Juvic Pagunsan when he sees action in the lucrative Japan PGA Championship starting Thursday.
Joining him in the hunt is fellow Filipino, United States-born Justin delos Santos, who at 27 is one of the most promising finds in the pros.
The 45-year-old Pagunsan’s last victory came after winning the Golf Partners Pro-Am with a stunning 23-under performance last May.
There he pocketed the equivalent of P4.8 million and a springboard to heftier tournaments in the Japan Golf Tour.
At least P58 million are up for grabs in the tournament to be held at the Eniwa Country Club in Hokkaido. Of which, the champion stands to earn P11 million.
Pagunsan is paired with Japanese Katsuhiro Kushuyama and South Korean Young-han Song in the first round.
This year, Pagunsan also finished tied for 14th in Aso Iizuka Challenge and tied for 26th in the Hana Bank Invitational.
His first title in the Tour was the Mizuno Open in 2021.
Delos Santos, on the other hand, took the spotlight after competing in the British Open last year.
The California-bred golfer placed joint 9th in the BMW JGT Championship Mori Building Cup this year.
Delos Santos also finished tied for 10th in the Japan Players Championship and T14 in the Golf Partners Pro-Am won by Pagunsan.
He is paired with Japanese Riou Shimano and Kodai Ichihara with a noontime tee-off.
