DAVAO, Philippines – Lloyd Go didn’t just make a move on moving day at the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship here yesterday. He also took a decisive step towards realizing a dream victory.
A flurry of birdies in the first three holes catapulted Go to a commanding lead, setting the tone for what would be a remarkable round for the rising Cebuano star, who showcased his prowess with a stellar 65, virtually sealing the outcome of the P2 million tournament at the Rancho Palos Verdes course.
Go led Nilo Salahog, Sean Ramos and Angelo Que by eight shots.
“The course is scoreable if you find the fairways, and that’s most important thing for me here,” said Go, whose impressive 14-under 202 created a considerable gap between him and his closest pursuers heading into the final 18 holes of the second leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour sponsored by ICTSI.
Earlier, Salahog sizzled with a course-record matching eight-under 64, highlighted by an eagle, but not even his solid round could propel him closer to Go, who also spiked his seven-under card with an eagle and four more birdies against two bogeys.
Salahog, who tied Jay Bayron’s feat in 2006, settled for joint second at 210 with Ramos, who hit three birdies in the last seven holes to save a 70, and Que, who gained strokes on Nos. 16 and 17 to rescue a 71.
Ira Alido survived a roller-coaster round and finished with a 72 as he slipped to fifth at 211 followed by Keanu Jahns (71-212), Reymon Jaraula (72-213), Michael Bibat (73-214), and Guido van der Valk (71-215).