US two shots up in Eisenhower Cup

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – The Philippines failed to sustain an impressive start and faded with a roller-coaster round of four-over 150 as it tumbled to a share of 29th place at the start of the Eisenhower Cup of the World Amateur Golf Team Championships yesterday.

Rufino Bayron birdied the par-5 17th while Ferdie Aunzo holed out with a bogey as the ICTSI-backed bets carded identical 75s at the par-73 Royal Adelaide course for the team’s first round output in the three-to-play, two-to-count format event.

Jerson Balasabas reeled with back-to-back bogeys from No. 14 and didn’t count with a three-over 76 in his first stint with the national team, backed here by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Airlines, Stradcom Corp., Dynamic Sports and LORO Shirts.

The United States turned the Adelaide layout into a virtual playground as it sizzled with a 10-under 136 for a two-shot lead over Scotland and three ahead of Puerto Rico, which posted 136 and 137, respectively, at the par-72 Grange west course.

Jamie Lovemark and Ricky Fowler both fired five-under for the US, which threatened to duplicate Sweden’s runaway 12-stroke victory over Spain in the Espirito Santo side last week.

The Philippines settled for a tie with Iceland, Germany and Austria at 29th with the troika vowing to fight back with a low round at the Grange layout in the second round today.

Balasabas and Bayron actually put the Philippines in joint sixth among 70 teams in the early going after the former birdied the opening hole and the latter made a tap-in birdie on No. 2 for a two-under card.

But after three straight pars, Balasabas dropped three straight shots from No. 5 and hobbled with another bogey on the ninth for a 40 and Bayron bogeyed Nos. 6 and 8 for a 38.

Aunzo, who bogeyed the par-5 No. 2, instead emerged the best in the group at the turn with an even par 37 after a birdie on the fourth.

But the reigning national champion went into trouble on the 10th and made a double-bogey 6 then dropped another shot on the 13th. He rebounded with back-to-back birdies from No. 15 but failed to rescue a par from the bunker on the 18th for that 75.

Bayron muffed a couple of birdie putts at the back and stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 before rolling in a six-foot birdie putt on the 17th for the other 75.

Balasabas bounced back from a poor front side stint with back-to-back birdies from No. 10 but the Calatagan bet made two bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 for a 76.