Tony Lascuña and Jhonnel Ababa churned out a pair of 67s on opposite nines as the Davaoeños wrested control on hostile turf for a one-stroke lead over Ira Alido and Aussie Jack Lane-Weston at the start of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship at Del Monte Golf Club in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon yesterday.
Out to make up for his playoff setback to local ace Reymon Jaraula at Pueblo de Oro over the weekend, Lascuña bucked a bogey on No. 7 with four birdies in the last 10 holes to match Ababa’s five-under par round, a bogey-free card he spiked with two birdies in the last four holes at the frontside of the tight layout that bedeviled the games of the home bets.
“Got my iron game and putting going. I got a bit careless on No. 7 and made a bogey but regained my rhythm after I birdied No. 10,” said Lascuña, the former three-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion out to end a two-year title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Ababa, who missed joining the playoff cast at Pueblo by just one stroke, put in a flawless round in hot, humid conditions but rued his missed eagle chances on the three par5s that he birdied with solid driving and superb iron game.
“It was kind of perfect but had some lapses in judgment and blew my eagle chances on Nos. 6, 9 and 14,” said Ababa, the winningest player on PGT Asia with four victories but winless on PGT this year.
Reigning Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla and Paul Miñoza both holed out with birdies on the ninth to card 71s as they emerged the best-placed players from the host province at 18th, four behind the hot-starting Lascuña and Ababa.
But most pre-tournament favorites lived up to the hype with strong starts, among them Alido, who continued to dish out big games after a fifth-place effort at Aboitiz and a joint third finish at Pueblo. He shot a 68, firing three birdies at the front then negating a bogey mishap on No. 12 with birdies on Nos. 14 and 18.
Lane-Weston, meanwhile, put himself in early contention after a joint 25th effort at Pueblo with strong finishes on both nines. He birdied four of the last five at the back for a 33 then recovered from bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5 with three birdies in the last four to join Alido at second.
Juvic Pagunsan, who sparked a lot of talks for another title romp after a last-minute list-up, served notice of his title bid with three birdies in the first 11 holes. But he found Del Monte’s closing holes a lot more challenging, settling for a bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie game from No. 13 for a 69 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.
Jaraula, who came into the event oozing with confidence following a breakthrough win, blew a one-under card after nine holes with three straight bogeys to open his backside bid on a course he calls home. He birdied No. 14 but dropped another stroke on the difficult par-4 17th to fall to joint 36th with a 74.
From chasing a second straight crown, the 27-year-old Jaraula is now running after a spot in the final 36 holes of the P2.5 million championship sponsored by ICTSI with only the top 40 plus ties to advance to the weekend play.
Other three-under par scorers were Jun Bernis and Davaoenos Ferdie Aunzo and Elmer Saban.
James Ryan Lam, the pro-am winner for the second straight week, sizzled with four birdies after a bogey on No. 2 for a 33 but reeled back with three bogeys in the first six holes at the back and needed an eagle on the closing par-5 hole to save a 70 for joint ninth with Michael Bibat, Keanu Jahns, Elmer Salvador, Arnold Villacencio, Dutch Guido Van der Valk, Greg Gonzalez of the US and Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia.
