Zanieboy Gialon blitzes to 3-shot lead with 65

BACOLOD, Philippines  —  Zanieboy Gialon went on an early birdie-binge for a six-under 29 en route to a 65, spoiling what could’ve been another Jobim Carlos-Kim Joo Hyung early face-off by storming to a three-stroke lead over Carlos in the second round of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Carlos and Kim, who had dueled for two of the three titles in the Mindanao swing of the Philippine Golf Tour last month where Gialon missed the cut in all stops, took the 1-2 posts at the close of their morning stint in another sweltering day, only to yield the spotlight in the face of Gialon’s sizzling start that netted him the lead at 132.

Also removed from the leaderboard were erstwhile joint leaders Gerald Rosales (74), Keanu Jahns (74) and Jay Bayron (75), enabling Gialon, Carlos (67-135) and Kim (65-136) to take the top three spots halfway through the P3.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI.

Gialon, who snapped a run of poor plays in Mindanao with a joint 11th finish in the Bacolod Golf Challenge at Binitin last week, rattled off six birdies in the first nine holes to move four-up over Carlos with nine holes to play. Though he slowed down at the back with three bogeys against two birdies, the Davaoeño kept his spot on top with an eight-under overall, moving 36 holes away from ending a year-long title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“My putting clicked early on. I just hope to sustain it in the last two rounds,” said Gialon, who birdied the first two holes inside six feet, strung up three straight from No. 4 then drilled in a side-hiller from eight feet on the ninth.