Tagaytay City—On a windless and hitch-free opening day, veteran Marciano “Mars” Pucay went on the offensive and was gifted with a course record seven-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead in the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines at the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club on Thursday.

Birdies in the first two holes gave the 38-year-old Pucay some leverage and the comfort zone needed in the up-and-down Midlands course. 

After rolling in those putts—three feet on the first hole and 10 feet on the next—he made seven birdies and just one bogey, on the 11th, which he three-putted.

Pucay, who won two events in the former Asean circuit now called the Mercedes-Benz Tour, made birdies on the sixth from two feet, seventh (eight feet), ninth (10 feet), 14th (12 feet), 16th (seven feet) and 17th (12 feet).  He would have had gone up to eight-under had he holed the eagle try on No. 16.

“The early birdies enabled me not to force shots.  Putts kept falling in on some tough holes.  With a hot game like this, I took advantage of every birdie chance on some easy ones.  It is very important to start this way and, hopefully, I could sustain it until Sunday,” Pucay told the BusinessMirror.

Dan Salvador, golf director of Tagaytay Midlands, confirmed Pucay’s record-setting score. 

“Officially, this is the club’s first major professional tournament. Therefore, Pucay’s 65 has become the new course record,” he explained.

Thailand’s Arjun Artjanawat almost matched Pucay’s output with a bogey-free six-under 66 highlighted by three straight birdies on the last three holes.  However, the Putra Cup individual titlist and Thai Tour stalwart came in one birdie short of a share of the record.

Not too far behind at four-under 68s were reigning Philippine Open champion Angelo Que, touring pro Rey Pagunsan and Wednesday’s pro-am winner Sukree Othman of Malaysia.

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Tagaytay City—On a windless and hitch-free opening day, veteran Marciano “Mars” Pucay went on the offensive and was gifted with a course record seven-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead in the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines at the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club on Thursday.

LONDON—In extravagant tension from Moscow, as the Chelsea stalwart John Terry strode to take the clinching penalty kick on giant TV screens, you could sense the pubs along the winding Fulham Road poising to erupt.

CEBU City—I found myself in this Queen City of the South after attending the third edition of the Cebu Auto Show that started yesterday (and would end on Sunday) in the newly built Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.