BUKIDNON — Robert Pactolerin flashed vintage form and fired a six-under par 66 on a day of torrid scoring at the start of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship Wednesday at the Del Monte Golf Club here.

The former Philippine Open champion and many-time Masters titlist at Villamor, whose game took a downswing after ruling the ICTSI-Sherwood leg in late 2008, birdied the last two holes to cap a near-flawless round of two 33s that surprised many but himself.

“I’m not a bit surprised of my round because I really feel I can score here,” said Pactolerin in Filipino, who spiked his 66 with seven birdies and two pitch-in pars against a lone bogey. “I feel good and my driving and iron game are okay.”

It was indeed a startling round for a player, who turned in so-so finishes in the last four legs of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Circuit after missing the first three stages following an eye operation.

What was not amazing was 24 other players, including the tour’s big guns, broke par under overcast skies as the wind, the layout’s first line of defense, hardly blew all day to pave the way for perhaps the lowest scoring start in the three-year-old circuit. It also didn’t come as a surprise that little known Ebarra Quiachon took the early challenger’ role with a five-under 67, highlighted by a four-birdie splurge at the back, as the fancied bets lurked just behind at 68.

They include Juvic Pagunsan, raring to annex a second straight title after dominating the field in the ICTSI Apo leg last week, reigning Philippine Open champion and ICTSI Mt Malarayat leg winner Elmer Salvador, Cassius Casas, Richard Sinfuego, Louie Dacudao and amateur Jhonnel Ababa.

Pagunsan, trying to become the first player to win three leg titles in the circuit, went three under after No. 15 from where he started with Mars Pucay and Antonio Asistio II. But he bogeyed the next and hit two more birdies in a bogey-less stint at the front for that 34-34.

Casas, confident of pulling off a victory here where he had scored two wins in a checkered pro career, had a three-under card after 11 holes but missed the green on the next for bogey before rebounding with back-to-back birdies from No. 14 for that 68.