Ababa takes charge in Calatagan with 66

CALATAGAN, Batangas, Philippines – Jhonnel Ababa lived up to the hype and fired a six-under 66, setting in motion his title bid in the P1 million ICTSI Calatagan Challenge and a third leg victory on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Circuit here yesterday.

Flashing his familiarity with the Calatagan layout where he honed his talent and skills during his amateur days, Ababa went on a birdie-binge early, making five at the front against a bogey for a 32 and stayed at the helm throughout with two more birdies at the back.

But his sterling round netted him just one stroke as the other fancied bets also tamed the frontside with a slew of under-par scores despite windy condition, including Marvin Dumandan and Jun Bernis, who shot 33 and 34, respectively, for identical 67s while Gerald Rosales turned in perhaps his most strongest start in a long while – a three-under 69.

With Jerome Delariarte and Joenard Rates also making 69s and Mhark Fernando, Cassius Casas, Tony Lascuna and Robert Pactolerin firing similar 70s, the battle for the top P200,000 purse in the 54-hole event, the 14th leg of a 16-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., could go down-to-the-wire.

But first, they need to stop Ababa.

The winner at ICTSI Iloilo and ICTSI Riviera legs showed his local knowledge of the course, birdying the four par-5s and added three more birdies that negated his lone bogey mishap at the par-3 No. 8 from an errant tee-shot.

“It’s windy out there and I just got a bit lucky,” said the soft-spoken Ababa in downplaying his brilliant round. “But it’s still a long way to go and there are too many good players around.”

They include the power-hitting Dumandan, who gunned down six birdies, three on each nine but missed joining Ababa at the helm with a bogey on No. 12 where he failed to return a six-footer.

“The course is good and I feel good of my chances. But I have to polish my putting to get the elusive win,” said Dumandan, a three-leg winner last year but remained winless heading to the last three stages of the circuit.

Jay Bayron, meanwhile, virtually kissed his Order of Merit title retention bid goodbye with an atrocious 77 for joint 38th in a field of 72 players.

Like Dumandan, Bernis made a faulty start at the back, dropping a stroke on No. 12. But the former national champion chasing his maiden pro win fought back with four birdies in the next six holes then birdied Nos. 6 and 7 to tie Dumandan in second.

Rosales, the former Philippine Open champion still in search of a big finish coming off an injury, bucked a double-bogey on No. 14 with six birdies against one more bogey for a 33-36 card, forcing a three-way tie for fourth.

Delariarte strung up nines of 35-34 while Rates, the least fancied bet among the big guns in the tournament sponsored by International Container Terminals Services, Inc., anchored his bid with a 33 at the front for the other 69.

Lascuna bogeyed No. 8 on his way home and dropped into a tie with Casas, who rallied with a 34 at the back, Pactolerin, who leaned on a three-birdie string from No. 11, for identical 70s.

Fernando, the other title favorite, had a mediocre three-birdie, one-bogey stint for a 70 on a course he also calls home.

Gene Bondoc was the other player who broke par with a 71 while Artemio Murakami overcame an awful 40 at the back with four straight birdies from No. 1 to salvage a 72.

Other even pars scorers were Dante Becierra, Ferdie Aunzo, Albin Engino, Rolando Marabe, Elmer Saban and Charles Hong.

Alex Nallos of ICTSI-The Country Club team carded a 74 to share the amateur lead with Joey Huerva, one stroke ahead of Samsung Am champion Zanie Boy Gialon, who struggled with a 75.

The event is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.