Bayron shares lead in Samsung amateur golf

DAVAO–Former national player Jay Bayron took advantage of a faltering windup by little-known Ranil Glimada to forge a tie for the championship division lead after the second round of Samsung Amateur Tour at the Apo Golf Club course here.

Bayron carded a one-under-par 71 and actually just exchanged scores with the upset-minded Glimada, who bogeyed the last two holes for a 74. In the first round Thursday, It was Bayron who had a 74 and Glimada a 71.

Both Bayron and Glimada had similar 36-hole totals of 145 going into weekend play with Jay’s younger brother, Rufino, in third place but far behind at 150 after a 72.

Junjun Grandeza, meanwhile, captured the Class A crown when he nipped Joel Yamyamin on third extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. Grandeza (77-77) and Yamyamin (78-76) both ended regulation play at 154.

Emerging as the ladies division winners of the event also backed by Tokyo Tokyo, Gatorade, Philippine Airlines, adidas Taylor Made, KZG by Custom Clubmakers, Pink Patio Boracay, Coppertone Sport and Rogin-E, were Chihiro Ikeda in Class A, Imee Garcia in Class B and Mimi Siason in Class C. Killer-Bee, Jam 88.3, Wave 89.1, Magic 89.9, 99.5 RT and 103.5 K-Lite are media partners.

Bayron birdied the third, ninth and 11th holes against a bogey on No. 8 to seize the upperhand from Glimada as the 23-year-old cousin of top pro Cassius Casas went two over with his bogeys on the third and eighth.

But Glimada pulled even again with a birdie on the 14th and regained a two-shot lead on his second and last birdie for the day on the 16th which Bayron bogeyed.

Bayron watched Glimada wilt under pressure with his two closing bogeys to find himself sharing the driver’s seat at the end of the round.

Action in the Class B and Class C divisions gets going today with almost a hundred players in the fold. The championship is for 72 holes while all the rest are for two days only.