Villacencio tows field with 69

CEBU City, Philippines – Arnold Villacencio hit back-to-back birdies in the last two holes at the front to turn in the lone under par card of 69 at the tough Cebu Country Club here, emerging the surprise leader from a stellar international field at the start of the $65,000 Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI 2011 yesterday.

He opened a one-stroke lead over fellow Davaoeño Marvin Dumandan, who matched par 70 as majority struggled on the unpredictable putting surface and hobbled with over-par scores.

Taiwanese Kao Shang Hung, winner of last week’s Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship of the Asian Development Tour, suddenly withdrew from the tournament, apparently in disgust of a horrible nine-over 44 score at the back.

But that hardly overshadowed Villacencio’s impressive start, that included birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 that negated his two early bogeys on Nos. 11 and 13.

“It’s too early to tell but I’m happy to have a good start and to be on top,” said the 42-year-old Villacencio, who also led in the ICTSI Eastridge leg of the local circuit last May but faded and settled for joint third.

“I hope to continue to play well the next two days, I really want to win my first title on this Tour,” added the club pro at Fernando Airbase Golf Course in Lipa City, Batangas.

Dumandan’s 70 set the early pace before Villacencio charged home in one of the late flights to wrest control in the 72-hole championship, the seventh leg of the ADT that drew entries from Chinese Taipei, US, Australia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Korea, Japan, England, Thailand, Scotland, Brunei, Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates.

Dumandan, seeking an end to a long title drought after annexing three leg victories on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour last year, also leaned on a frontside rally of 33 to salvage an even par 70 as the rest either struggled with wayward shots to the greens or groped for form on the hard putting surface on a hot, humid but windy day.

“I hit just three greens so I guess I would have turned in a better score if I had hit more,” said Dumandan, another Davaoeño and one of the fancied bets in the event sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and presented by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Dumandan, playing in a flight that included ADT moneylist leader Chiang Chen Chi and Tony Lascuña, made two birdies in the only three times that he made it in regulation and stayed in the hunt with superb putting.

Lascuña wound up with a 73 while Chiang bogeyed four of the last five holes and ended up with a 74.

“It would have been better if I hit more greens,” said Dumandan, who went straight to the putting green to polish his stroke.

Jay Bayron took off from where he left last year and threatened to blow away the field in his title retention bid with a three-under 32. But he stumbled with five bogeys at the back, marred by three straight from No. 13, and needed to birdie the par-4 17th to save a round of 71.

He forged a five-way tie for third with Antonio Asistio II, and fellow Davaoenos Cassius Casas, Edgar Ababa and Elmer Salvador, the pro-am winner last Tuesday, who turned in a one-under par at front but hobbled with two bogeys coming home.

“I’m satisfied with my performance although I didn’t play that well,” said Salvador in Filipino. “You need to have good iron shots and steady putting to do good here because the greens are really hard.”

“The greens are difficult, you need have a good short game to succeed here,” said Casas.

 Thailand’s Tony Mansuwan and American Jonathan Moore emerged the best placed foreigners in the fold, carding identical 72s for a share of seventh with local bets Randy Garalde, Antonio Asistio II and teener Miguel Tabuena, who is coming off a joint 14th place finish in Taiwan Championship last week.

birdied two of the first six holes at the front but dropped four strokes in the next five, including a wet double-bogey on the par-4 11th, and finished with a 72.

“If you get the wrong distance here, you have to hit it right so you can put enough spin on the ball,” said Tabuena, who was even par after nine holes but dumped his shot in the hazard on No. 11 for a double-bogey.

Australian Matt Docking made a 73 to join a big group of three-over scorers, who included Anthony Fernando, Albin Engino, Michael Bibat, Paulo San Gabriel, Raul Minoza, Rufino Bayron Jhonnel Ababa and Tony Lascuña.

Taiwanese Chiang Chen-chih, winner of the ADT’s Transcend Open last May, hit two birdies but had two three-bogey strings in a punishing day, including from No. 7 that marred his windup at the front. He ended up with a 74.

Some of the big guns sputtered in the early going of the 72-hole championship on a course that requires accuracy with Artemio Murakami hobbling with three bogeys after nine holes and limping with a 76.

The event is backed by 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.