Bayron cards eagle-spiked 67, leads by 1

MANILA, Philippines - Rufino Bayron shot an eagle-aided five under 67 to take a one-shot lead against Rolando Marabe in the rich ICTSI Tournament Players’ Championship on a day the players mostly took out their drivers tackling the tight layout of the Southlinks Golf Club in Las Piñas yesterday.

Bayron got off to a birdie-birdie start for a two-under at the front and continued the charge at the back with an eagle and three birdies, putting himself at seven-under and at least three strokes ahead of his closest pursuers in the P3.5 million tournament sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

But he dropped two shots after a double-bogey mishap on the 18th, allowing Marabe, who was in later flight, to inch closer with a bogey-free 68.

Marabe submitted nines of 34-34 to zoom past a bunch previously running second of 69 scorers, including Rico Depilo, John Kier Abdon, James Ryan Lam and Cangolf leg champ Clyde Mondilla.

“Considering that the course was difficult, it was a good round,” said Bayron in Pilipino.

Like everyone in the field, Bayron’s game plan was to put the ball on the fairways and greens.

“It was more on hitting the fairways and the greens. In this course, it’s quite inevitable you’ll run into trouble,” he said.

Bayron, who knocked down a 56-yard wedge shot for an eagle on No. 14, actually enjoyed a bogey-free run until he reached the final hole. But he made an errant drive and had a poor second shot and reached the green in five.

But Marabe, who never figured in the title race in all 15 legs of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc, showed how to tackle a course like Southlinks, fashioning out the only bogey-free round in a challenging day.

“I just went for the fairways and greens and make the most of my birdie chances,” You just can’t attack the course even if appears to be short from our standards,” said Marabe, who kept his driver in the bag all day, relying on his trusted 3-iron off the tee and 3-wood for his second shot on the par-5s.

The Marapara, Bacolod native, still in search of his first pro win since 1997 in a career interrupted by a three-year stay in the US, birdied all but one of the par 3s from close range and added another one on No. 14. He only missed the green twice but drilled in a pair of six-footers on Nos. 9 and 11 to preserve a spotless 34-34 card.

“I hope to sustain my form and finally give myself a chance to record my first win,” said Marabe, whose best finish this year is sixth at ICTSI Iloilo Challenge won by Cassius Casas.

Mondilla wasn’t spared of a horrendous hole. The ace from Del Monte, Bukidnon initially held the lead as he was at five-under through 13 holes but hit his second shot on the par-5 No. 14 on the hazard and holed out with a seven.

“It was difficult, the course was tight and it was windy,” said Mondilla.

Lam was at three-under at the front but dropped two on No. 11 but recovered with birdies on Nos. 14 and 16.

“Tight course so keeping it in play is a must. I took out my driver and teed off with 3-Iron in every hole. This is an advantage for me because I hit it low with my 3-iron, which runs to 250, 260 yards, always have an opportunity to hit the green,” said Lam.

Mhark Fernando and Edward Reyes stood at joint seventh with similar 70s while Jun Rates and Dutch pro Guido Van der Valk shared 9th and 10th with 71 in the circuit’s final leg backed by Nike Golf, Pacsports Phils. Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Mizuno, Empire Golf, Footjoy, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, Sharp, KZG and Rudy Project.

Casas, a pre-tournament favorite in the absence of big guns Tony Lascuna, Miguel Tabuena, Elmer Salvador and Jay Bayron, who all set to see action on the Asian Tour leg in Chiangmai, Thailand tomorrow, birdied No. 11 but struggled the rest of the way on a tough course that yielded just 10 under-par scores. He holed out with a triple-bogey seven on No, 13 and hobbled with a two-over 74 for a share of 20th with Richard Sinfuego, Benjie Magada, Paul Echavez and Dante Becierra.

Worse was Arnolo Villacencio, the ICTSI Summit leg champion who never recovered from a 40 start at the back, also marred by a double-bogey on the 18th, finishing with a 78 and in danger of missing the 40-plus ties cut.