Juvic Pagunsan is assured of a slot in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
The 43-year-old Pagunsan has earned points in the men’s division to make it to the quadrennial meet after conquering the 2021 Mizuno Open for his first Japan Golf Tour title last May 30 at the Setonaikai Golf Club in Okayama, Japan.
National Golf Association of the Philippines secretary general Bones Floro confirmed this ahead of the announcement that the International Golf Federation will make after the June 22 cutoff period.
Pagunsan will join newly-crowned US Open queen Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan to the Olympics.
“I can safely say na malayo na silang matanggal. Sure na 'yan,” said Floro in a radio interview.
The former Asian Golf Tour top earner bagged the P5.2-million top prize in winning the crown.
Pagunsan is now ranked no. 51 in the Olympic Golf Rankings that was updated this week.
He is set to next see action in the 2021 British Open at Royal St. George's Golf Course in Kent, England from July 15 to 18, before heading to Tokyo.
Saso and Pagdanganan are currently listed inside the Top 60 in the women’s division of the Olympic golf rankings, which managed by the International Golf Federation.
According to qualification rules, 60 players in each of the men’s and women’s events will make it to the list of Olympic qualifiers by June 21 for the men’s side and June 28 for the women’s.
The 19-year-old Saso has risen to no. 9 from no. 22 in the Olympic women’s rankings after the IGF updated its list this week, following her $1-million major golf triumph at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California.
On the other hand, the 23-year-old Pagdanganan is currently ranked no. 42, down by a notch.