Bayron, Balasabas share lead in Sabah

SABAH - Rufino Bayron and Jerson Balasabas each fired a three-under par 69 to share the lead at the start of the Sabah Amateur Golf Championship at the Shan-Shui Golf Club in Tawau, Sabah late Friday.

Bayron, a mainstay of the ICTSI golf stable, could’ve gained the solo lead but failed to rescue par from the bunkers on the 18th.

That was his lone black mark in a solid 33-36 round that featured three birdies, including a tap-in on the par-5 No. 5 after missing an eagle-putt from 20 feet.

Bayron, who humbled some of the top RP pros to win the Valley leg of the Philippine Golf Tour late last year, also birdied Nos. 4 from five feet, 7 from two feet and 14 from 12 feet.

Balasabas, playing out of Calatagan, also made his mark on the 7,200-yard long but narrow par-72 layout, matching Bayron’s output with his own version of a 69 to share a four-stroke lead in the 54-hole tournament serving as a prelude to next week’s Malaysian Amateur Open.