Bacoleño hotshot Juvic Pagunsan carded a 2-under par 70 Thursday in the opening round of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club in Qatar for a share of the 19th place.

Pagunsan, a former caddy at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia, was the highest ranked Filipino after the first round as compatriots Angelo Que and Frankie Miñoza placed for tied 75th and 104th, respectively.

Retief Goosen of Russia grabbed the early lead with an opening round of 65 for seven under par, while Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and Nick O'Hern of Australia shot 66 each to share second place.

This is the first tournament that the 28-year-old Pagunsan joined in the Asian Tour for this year after being named as the Rookie of the Year for 2006.

Pagunsan, a two-time Southeast Asian Games champion, finished seventh in the Order of Merit last year after posting four Top 10 finishes that was highlighted with a runner-up finish in the UBS Hong Kong Open.

He also received an invitation to see action in the US PGA Tour event Sony Open in Hawaii early this month, but missed the cut after the second round. *CIT

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