Lascuña cards 69, ties Aussie at helm

MANILA, Philippines - Tony Lascuña used a near-impeccable short game to fire a three-under 69 and tie Aussie Cameron Smith for the lead as erstwhile leader Elmer Salvador wavered and tumbled with a 74 halfway through the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Taiwan yesterday.

Lascuña, who turned in a flawless 68 Thursday, salvaged all but one par in eight times that he went out of regulation then birdied three of the last eight to gain a share of the lead at 137 with Smith, who sizzled with a five-under 67 in tough condition.

They took a one-stroke lead over Taiwanese Lien Lu-sen, who carded a 71, heading to the weekend play of the $500,000 event of the Asian Tour.

Angelo Que, who gunned down and eagle and hit an ace in shooting a 68 in the first round, birdied three of the first 10 holes but made bogeys on Nos. 11 and 14 to settle for a 71 and a 139.

Other five-under par scorers were India’s Anirban Lahiri, who rallied with the day’s best 66, Swede Daniel Chopra, who shot a 68, and Thai Thaworn Wiratchant, who fired a 69.

Salvador, who showed up the elite field with a 66 Thursday, stayed on top with a two-under card after six holes but reeled back with four bogeys and a double bogey against two birdies the rest of the way. He wound up with a 74 and dropped to joint eighth with four others.

“I managed to save a lot of pars. It’s not easy to putt here so I’m pleased with my performance so far,” said Lascuña, seeking his first win on the Asian Tour. “I’m very excited about the weekend rounds now that I’m in the lead but I need to focus on each hole.”

Miguel Tabuena rebounded from a 73 with a bogey-free 68 as he jumped from 52nd to a share of 13th at 141 while Jay Bayron matched par 72 and barely made the cut at 145.

Lascuña, who came into the event oozing with confidence following three-straight victories on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, missed the first two greens but parred both of them inside eight feet. He birdied the par-5 No. 4 for the second straight day then missed four of the next five greens, which he all saved with a superb short game.

But he failed to return a six-footer on the par-5 10th and made his first bogey after 27 holes then fought back with birdies on Nos. 11, 14 and 18 while rescuing another par n the 16th to cap his 35-34 round.