Pacto flashes vintage form, nears crown

TRECE Martires, Cavite – Veteran Robert Pactolerin took a step closer to ending an 11-year title drought when he surged ahead of the field with a three-under 69, wresting a one-stroke lead over young guns Marvin Dumandan and Gene Bondoc in the second round of the 54-hole ICTSI Sherwood Classic at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club here.

The 47-year-old Pactolerin, a former Philippine Open champion whose game took a downswing after capturing his last title in the 1997 Toyota Match Play, leaned on a flawless backside stint, the frontside of his game yesterday, where he fired a four-under card for that 69 despite a double-bogey on No. 1 for a two-day total of 139.

Dumandan matched Pactolerin’s 69 in one of the late flights in a windy day, finishing with five birdies against two bogeys as he caught up with former national teammate Bondoc who fired a 66 for second at 140, while first round co-leader Jay Bayron sputtered with a one-over 73 after a solid 68 for a 141 in a tie with Raymund Sangil, who shot the day’s other 66.

Elmer Salvador, tied with Bayron after 18 holes, also skied to a 75 as strong winds bedeviled the games of those who teed off late, tumbling down to joint sixth with Rey Pagunsan, who turned in a 71, and Jonard Rates, who reeled back with a 73.

Angelo Que, the reigning RP Open champion, hardly recovered from an opening two-over 74 with a 73 as he stood eight shots off Pactolerin with one round left in the event put up by ICTSI (International Container Terminal Services, Inc.) to revive the local pro circuit.

Cassius Casas, the other player tipped to contend for the crown owing to his triumph in the B-Ing Championship in Thailand last month, also failed to gain headway despite a 72 and stood 10 strokes behind at 149.

“I’ll just play my game. If it (the victory) comes, I’ll take it,” said Pactolerin, whose sizzling start of four birdies cushioned the impact of a double-bogey mishap on No. 1.

Two shots behind the joint leaders at the start of the round, Pactolerin rammed in a three-footer for birdie on No. 10, flubbed an eagle putt from six feet on No. 15, then gunned down a seven-footer and another six footer for birdies on Nos. 16 and 18.

But the two-time RP Masters winner, who finished tied for 14th in the ICTSI Valley Challenge ruled by rookie Rufino Bayron, mishit a downhill lie on the par-4 No. 1 fairway, reached the green in three then three-putted from four feet for that 6. That, however, failed to shake his rhythm as he made another birdie from four feet on the third for a 37-32 card.

While Pactolerin used the backside to take charge, Bondoc rallied in the last nine holes to turn in a bogey-free round of 66 and get into contention for the top P164,000 staked in the event, backed by Srixon, Callaway, Maruman, Gatorade, MJ Carr Golf Management Inc. , Inquirer Golf, Golf Digest, Golf Punk, Motorola, Samsung and Maya Ads.

The Asian Games veteran birdied Nos. 5 and 8 then added four more on Nos. 10, 12, 14 and 15 in impressive fashions to boost his bid for a first-ever pro crown.

But with at least six players – Dumandan, Sangil, Bayron, Pagunsan, Rates and Salvador – in striking distance of Pactolerin, a wild chase looms for top honors in this second leg of the circuit promoted by World Sport Group.