INQUIRER Sports

ANTONIO Asistio settled down with his game and shot a one-under par 71 to top the first half of the 108-hole Putra Cup qualifier at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club course in Lipa City, Batangas.

Asistio, who sizzled with a 65 in the first round but faltered with a 73 Thursday, stumbled with an early bogey on hole No. 2 but made three straight birdies from No. 5 then hit one more birdie against two bogeys to finish with a 35-36 card.

It was enough to give him the lead with a seven-under 209 total after the first of two 54-hole eliminations conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines in cooperation with Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club.

Asistio will thus take a one-stroke margin over ICTSI teammate Rufino Bayron, who matched par 72, heading into the second half of the qualifier.

Bayron, whose second round 66 gained him a piece of the lead Thursday, bucked a triple-bogey seven on the opening hole as he fired six birdies against three more bogeys to salvage a 37-35 card for a 210.

Peter Villaber, another ICTSI bet, shot a two-under 70 for a share of third with a charging Jhonnel Ababa of Calatagan, who shot a four-under par 68 for a 215, six shots off Asistio.

Villaber, hoping for a first-ever crack at the RP team, rallied with a 33 at the back for that 70 while Ababa matched that closing 33 to pile up the day’s lowest round.

Reigning national champion Mhark Fernando, also of Calatagan, double-bogeyed No. 1 and made just one birdie against a slew of pars for a 73 as he slid to fifth with a 218, heading into the last three rounds of the grueling qualifier that will select the four members of the RP squad competing in the Putra Cup slated Aug. 18-21 in Thailand.