DAVAO, Philippines – Rookie pro Jhonnel Ababa defended the home turf with a gutsy 66, matching fancied Juvic Pagunsan’s six-under par card fashioned out in the morning session as they opened a three-stroke lead over Elmer Salvador and two others in the P1 million ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational at the Apo Golf and Country Club here yesterday.
Ababa, chasing a second straight leg crown after topping the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge three weeks ago, rallied with four birdies at the front on his homeward trip to highlight a brilliant 32-34 round marred by an opening hole bogey on No. 10.
But the former national team mainstay shook off the early missed-green mishap with birdies on No. 12, 16 and 18 then sustained his attack on the course he calls home with birdies on Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 8.
“Except for No. 10, I had a pretty solid round. My iron game clicked, setting up short birdie putts,” said Ababa in Filipino.
It was indeed an inspiring start for Ababa who scored a breakthrough win on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour with a playoff victory over fellow Davaoeño and reigning Order of Merit champion Jay Bayron in Iloilo.
Earlier, Pagunsan eagled the par-5 18th to cap a fiery backside stint of 30 for that 66 as he set in motion his bid for a record third straight Davao leg victory.
Pagunsan strung up four straight birdies from No. 13 to fire up an otherwise mediocre round then holed out with an eagle from eight feet to put himself in a familiar place on a course and against a stellar field he has mastered the last two years.
Pagunsan’s 66 matched his start in 2009 when he dominated the field from start to finish en route to a six-shot romp over Artemio Murakami and Jerome Delariarte.
Pagunsan, seeking a fourth leg victory after eight legs of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour after topping the Northwoods, Orchard and Eastridge stops, also scored a four-stroke win over Ferdie Aunzo and Elmer Saban here last year to become the first back-to-back leg winner on the three-year-old tour sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Salvador and Echavez assumed the challengers’ role with identical 69s in the same flight with the former Philippine Open champion hitting five birdies to negate a pair of missed-green bogeys and the latter missing seizing solo second at four-under with a bogey on the par-3 No. 4.
Local talents Tony Lascuña, Elmer Saban and Eddie Salvador also flashed their familiarity with the par-72 layout, carding identical 70s while Davaoeños Marvin Dumandan and Ferdie Aunzo, Michael Bibat and Danny Zarate turned in similar 71s.
Frankie Miñoza, in a rare stint on the local circuit, matched par 72 for joint 13th with Dante Becierra, Arnold Villacencio and former world junior champion Ruperto Zaragoza while another Davaoeño and former national champion Anthony Fernando carded a 73 in a tie with teener Miguel Tabuena and Cassius Casas, also a homegrown bet.
Asian Tour veteran Mars Pucay failed to recover from a two-over card after nine holes and finished with a 75 then watched flightmate Pagunsan frolic with a string of birdies from No. 13 and the day’s lone eagle.
Pagunsan birdied the opening hole but fumbled with a one-over card with bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5. He birdied the sixth to get to even par and remained level until he knocked down a three-footer for birdie on the 13th.
He followed it up with a 10-footer on No. 14, rolled in an eight footer on the next before going four-under with a five-footer on the 16th.
But while Pagunsan played true to form, Angelo Que, winner of the ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat leg and one of the fancied bets here, shot an atrocious round of 78, including a birdie-less six-over 41 at the back where he teed off.
Que’s misfortunes extended to the frontside as he bogeyed three of the first five holes but birdied two of the last four to salvage a 37 for a 78.
The event is backed b MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, Empire Golf & Sports Shop, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.