Salvador takes control; V'cencio fades with 82

CEBU, Philippines  – Elmer Salvador birdied the final hole at the front to turn in a second straight 71 and seize a one-shot lead over American Jonathan Moore as erstwhile leader Arnold Villacencio skied to an 82 halfway through the $65,000 Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI 2011 at the tough Cebu Country Club here yesterday.

Salvador overcame poor putting and cashed in on Cassius Casas’ foldup at the front and Moore’s bogey mishap on No. 18 as he wrested control with a birdie on No. 9 to emerge on top in a topsy-turvy second round with a 142.

“My putting is really bad and I don’t know why,” said Salvador in Filipino. “But I’m really surprised that I’m on top.”

Like the rest of the field, the 26-year-old Moore, coming off an impressive victory in ADT leg in Malaysia last month, said he had a hard time conquering the tough greens.

“It’s tough, it’s short but the greens are so firm,” said Moore, who has his wife Claire as his caddy in the first local event to be calendared on the Asian Development Tour.

“They are the firmest greens I’ve ever played on. Really, I’ve never played on such firm green, it really took a lot of my time,” added Moore.

He had a decent two-bogey, one-birdie stint to match Salvador’s 71 for a 143, while sophomore pros Rufino Bayron (71), Antonio Asistio II (73) and Casas (73) stood a stroke farther back at 144.

With five players, led by defending champion Jay Bayron (74), pooling 36-hole aggregates of 145, and five more, including Australian Matt Docking and Jhonnel Ababa, assembling a 146, a wild, wild chase is expected in the last two rounds of the $65,000 tournament sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and presented by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Casas did go on an attack mode early and was rewarded, though briefly, as he sizzled with a bogey-free 32 at the back where he started and quickly surged ahead by three over Salvador, Moore and a host of others.

But he lost his touch at the front, making a wet bogey on No. 1 and a double bogey on the second before dropping three more strokes in the last seven holes for a 41. He wound up with a 73.

“I just lost my rhythm,” said Casas in Filipino. “But there are still 36 holes to go, so let’s see what happens.”

Jay Bayron, winner of this event last year as a local tournament, stumbled with six bogeys against two bogeys for a 74 and 145 as he joined the group of Anthony Fernando (72), Sri Lanka’s Mithlin Perera (71), Marvin Dumandan (75) and Michael Bibat (72).

Ababa, winner of the ICTSI-Iloilo leg last month, Albin Engino and Docking all turned in second straight 73s to lead the 146 scorers, who included Richard Sinfuego (72) and Ernie Rellon, who partnered with amateur ace Marcel Puyat to win the Samsung Davao Pro-Am crown last week, who fought back with a 72.

Tony Lascuña, seeking an end to a long title drought, made a 74 and dropped into a tie with Japanese Motonari Nakagawa (72) in joint 16th at 147.

Villacencio turned from awesome to awful, limping with a birdie-less 12-over card after a tournament-leading 69 and tumbling down from first to joint 37th at 151, barely making the cut pegged at 153.

Four players made it to the last 36 holes, with Miguel Tabuena advancing with a 149 after a 77, along with Mars Pucay and Murakami with 150 after a 73 and 74, respectively, and Taiwanese Chiang Chen-chih, winner of the ADT’s Transcend Open last May, who wavered with a 76.

A double-bogey 7 on the par-5 No. 2 gave portents of things to come for Villacencio, who then made another “7” at the par-4 sixth for a 40 then stumbled with two bogeys, a double bogey and another triple-bogey for a 42.

It was actually another challenging day at the long, par-70 layout as the field failed to break par, leaving Villacencio as the lone player to shoot an under-par round.

Mhark Fernando, who scored a breakthrough at ICTSI-Del Monte, and Robert Pactolerin, winner at ICTSI-Bacolod, missed the cut with 155s after a 78 and 79, respectively.

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.