Salvador fends off Lascuna

Manila, Philippines -  Elmer Salvador slowed down with a 71 but held on to a one-shot lead over a charging Tony Lascuna while obscure Albin Engino threatened to make it a three-way fight halfway through the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship at the Masters Course in Carmona, Cavite yesterday.

Salvador blew a solid 34 at the back with a two-bogey, one-birdie stint coming home in one of the late afternoon flights, settling for a 71 after firing a course-record tying seven-under 65 in Wednesday’s opener of the four-day, P2.5 million championship.

Still, his eight-under 136 aggregate kept him in the lead but found a new but tested challenger in Lascuna as erstwhile second running Michael Bibat skied to a 79 after an impressive 66 and tumbled to joint 15th at 145.

Lascuna used a strong start at the back and a stronger finish to shoot a 68 in overcast skies as he closed within Salvador with a 137 while Engino fired a 69 to move up to solo third at 139.

The rest of the fancied bets failed to gain headway in a tough day at the hazard-laden layout with Rufino Bayron (71), Clyde Mondilla (73) and Marvin Dumandan (74) falling behind by six with identical 142s.

Two-leg winner Miguel Tabuena rebounded from a so-so 73 with a 70 but stood seven strokes off Salvador at 143 in a tie with Christopher delos Santos (70) and Mhark Fernando (71) while Asian Tour No. 1 Juvic Pagunsan, who had a 77 in the first round, rattled off three straight birdies from No. 14 to salvage a 72 but lay 13 shots behind at 149.

Salvador, who beat Lascuna by three to rule anew the ICTSI Sherwood leg, the first of five P2.5 million events lined up by the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. this year, appeared headed for another solid round when he bucked a bogey on No. 10 with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 13.

But he failed to complete an up-and-down card on No. 1 then dropped another stroke on No. 7 against a lone birdie on No. 4 for that 71.

Lascuna, seeking a follow-up to his ICTSI Eagle Ridge victory last month, also had a fine start of two birdies in the first three holes at the back. But he lost his focus after missing a couple of makeable birdie putts on Nos. 14 and 15, misfiring his tee-shot on the par-3 17th and failing to save par from eight feet for his lone bogey.

“I just lost my cool after those two missed birdie chances and made that bogey on the 17th. But I settled down at the front,” said Lascuna, who birdied Nos. 4, 6 and 7 to wheel back into contention, in Filipino.

“I’ve been hitting it well and I hope to contend for the crown again,” he added.

Engino will join the fancied duo in the featured flight today, hoping to hold his ground and press his bid for a breakthrough victory in the event serving as the sixth leg of a 16-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.