Asistio shoots 69, leads Bayron by 3

MANILA, Philippines – Antonio Asistio flashed superb form to shoot a three-under par 69 and post a three-stroke lead over ICTSI teammate Rufino Bayron as the Filipino bets took the top two spots in the Indonesia Amateur Golf Invitational at the Imperial Golf Club in Indonesia late Tuesday.

Asistio and Bayron, building up for the Putra Cup in Thailand in the next two weeks, turned in contrasting rounds to wrest control with the former rallying with four birdies against a bogey at the front for a 33-36 card and the latter wavering with a 38 after scoring a 34 at the backside of the par-72 layout.

Miko Alejandro, also a member of the ICTSI golf team, shot a 73 to join three others in third place in a strong start by the Filipino bets in Indonesia’s premier amateur championship.

Jerson Balasabas, playing out of Calatagan, also shot a 73 along with local bets Benny Kasiadi and Agus L.

Peter Villaber, the other member of the Putra Cup-bound RP team, stood a shot farther back at 74 in a tie with former Hong Kong Amateur champion Dante Becierra for seventh while Albin Engino wavered with a 77 to be in 17th place.

Over in Malaysia, Anya Tanpinco shot a one-under par 70 to trail leader Jean Tze Chua of Malaysia by one stroke in the first round of the Malaysian Ladies Amateur at the Mines Golf Course in Kuala Lumpur also late Tuesday.

Tanpinco made a solid start of three birdies in the first six holes but sputtered with a double-bogey on No. 8 and dropped another stroke on the ninth of the par-71 layout. She birdied Nos. 15 and 17 to go two under but failed to save par on the 18th after missing the green.

She dropped into a tie for second with Michele Kho even as Chua took charge of the 54-hole tournament with a two-under par 69.

Sarah Jane Ababa carded a one-over par 72 and stood in fourth in a tie with Hong Kong’s Ginger Mak.

Teeing off at the backside, Asistio tapped in for birdie on No. 13 then rolled in another birdie from the fringe on the 17th. But he mishit his drive on the par-5 18th, the ball failing to sail over the hazard then missed the green on his fourth shot and holed out with a double-bogey 7.

But he settled down at the front, knocking down superb approach shots to set up birdie putts inside five feet on Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 8 to negate a three-putt bogey on the seventh.

Bayron, who also started at the back, reeled off birdies on Nos. 11, 17 and 18 against a bogey on the long par-3 14th. After parring the first three holes at the front, the veteran internationalist missed the green on No. 4 then four-putted for a 7 but rammed in a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 7 to salvage an even par round.