Pastor, Bayron stay in command with 67s

MURCIA, Negros Occidental  , Philippines  —   With a little help from local pros, Spain’s Marcos Pastor kept his feel of the Bacolod Golf Club layout and kept his spot on top with Rufino Bayron as they fired 67s to stay in command after two rounds of the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge here yesterday.

But fancied Juvic Pagunsan and Ira Alido pulled to within one with a pair of 65s, Richard Sinfuego fired a 69 and moved two shots farther back, and erstwhile co-leaders Michael Bibat and Reymon Jaraula lost their touch and fumbled with one-over 71s but stayed within striking distance, guaranteeing a shootout in the last 36 holes of the P2.5 million event serving as the second of a four-stage Visayan swing of the circuit.

Pastor and Bayron took different routes but matched outputs for the second straight day, staying ahead at 132 with those three-under cards but Pagunsan and Alido threatened at 133s, Sinfuego at 135 and Bibat and Jaraula at 136s.

Pastor actually missed grabbing the solo lead with a bogey on the 18th and settled for a 33-34 in the wind and heat in the afternoon while Bayron hit a late birdie at the front to save a 32-35 as the duo warded off Pagunsan and Alido’s fiery attacks in morning play.

Unfamiliar with the short but tight and tricky par-70 layout, Pastor banked on the local pros’ tips to negate his bogeys on Nos. 1 and 18 with five birdies in a 12-hole stretch from No. 5, bolstering his drive for a maiden victory in the circuit after topping the PGT Q-School for foreign players at Splendido last February.

“Some local pros told me how to play the course where some fairways are soft and some are hard,” said Pastor. “I played so aggressive off the tee and most of my drives were good.”

Teeing off at the back, Bayron had a mediocre two-birdie, two-bogey start but the veteran campaigner seeking to end a long title drought picked up three birdies in the first five holes at the back then rebounded from a bogey on the sixth with a birdie on the next then pounced on Pastor’s shaky finish to remain tied in the lead.

“It’s tough playing in the heat and with the wind picking up in the afternoon,” said Bayron.