Salvador upstages Casas, up by 1

The season’s scene stealer pulled off another big heist as journeyman Elmer Salvador grabbed the first round lead with a five-under-par 67 yesterday in the 12th leg of the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit at the Manila Southwoods Legends course.

The 33-year-old Salvador gunned down seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch from the sixth for an explosive start that pushed him one-stroke ahead of the fancied Cassius Casas who managed to shoot a 68 despite a sore shoulder.

It was Casas who had denied Salvador his best shot at a first-ever professional crown four weeks ago in Del Monte, Bukidnon winning a marathon six-hole playoff.

Scrambling from the first tee, Casas was very lucky to have escaped with a bogey-free 68 using his short game brilliance to save 12 pars from around the green that went with his four birdies.

Richard Sinfuego, the man who dealt Casas his fourth setback in the last five weeks in the recent Orchard leg, was also in the hunt, joining Joselito Rempojo at 69 as the ideal conditions yielded 12 sub-par scores.

Sinfuego, the Order of Merit leader, spiked his round with a 40-footer for birdie on the first hole, one of the five he made that cushioned two bogeys in the back nine.

Japanese Wataru Toriguchi emerged as a possible foreign threat with his 70 tying him for fifth with Ric Borreta and Al Cruz in the P600,000 tourney bankrolled by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s foundation and San Miguel Beer.

Ramon Brobio, Roger Antonio, Roger Cabajar, Dan Cruz, Edwin Estrera and Robert Pactolerin all fired similar 71s to complete the under-par scorers.

Salvador, who set a course record of 64 at Del Monte, which is also lowest for the season so far, went on a birdie rampage starting with a gimme on the first hole and on Nos. 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14 and 15.

"Nagkatugma-tugma na naman, umusok talaga," said Salvador who already had led a tournament at least five times in the revived circuit organized by the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc.

Casas, meanwhile, said he feels a throbbing pain in his rotator calf.

"Noong Orchard pa lang naramdaman ko na, medyo pinagtiyagaan ko na lang. Sana huwag naman lumala," said Casas.

Casas was all over the course all day, straying his drives to the wrong fairways and playing his approaches from under the trees. But he made a lot of magical recoveries, two-putting from as far as 50 feet on the slippery greens. Of the five greens he hit, he made four birdies, one of them from 30 feet on the 16th.