“I'd like to win here. It'll be a great way to end a banner season for me,” said Pagunsan, who will be crowned as Asia's No. 1 player on Sunday at the Asian Tour's Awards Gala after the Thailand stop. With one event left, he is leading the Order of Merit race with more than $780,000 in earnings.
His rise to fame actually happened in the Barclays Singapore Open, where he finished runner-up to Spain's Gonzalao Fernandez-Castano in a thrilling two-hole playoff. The 33-year-old Negros Occidental native got $666,000 for his feat, which got him atop the leaderboard in an instant.
Until now, as he practices at the picturesque Amata Spring Country Club for the big day on Thursday, Pagunsan still can't believe he's the top golfer in the Asian Region.
“Isang magandang panaginip (One good dream),” he said.
While Pagunsan, whatever his outcome here, whether he makes it to the weekend rounds or not, he will still wound up as the best in the elite Asian Tour circuit. Compatriot and teenage bet Miguel Tabuena is hoping to secure his tour card for 2012 by finishing strong here as well.
Currently mired at 61st place, the 17-year-old, former junior amateur star is out of the Order of Merit's top 60, which is the cut off for players to secure playing rights next year.
“My family and friends are encouraging me to 'get 'em tiger' which is very inspiring,” said Tabuena, the youngest Filipino ever to get into the Asian Tour.
Tabuena knows how important it is to get in the elite 60. “It mean's that I won't have to go through the Qualifying school (Q-School) again just to get the regular card.”
For this inaugural championship in Thailand, Tabuena's strategy would focus on turning on good scores in the first two rounds to make the cut then charge on the third and fourth days.
“I've learned this strategy through the hard way. But I am pretty much okay with my achievements this year. I’m happy to turn pro early in my career. I have to work hard, keep on improving. I’m confident that I’ll be rewarded in time,” said Tabuena, who finished 29th in the Iskandar Johor Open in a follow up to his Taiwan stint. — JVP, GMA News
source ADRIAN FLORES, GMA News
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