INQUIRER Sports

TRECE MARTIREZ, CAVITE?Asian Tour regular Antonio Lascuña and four long shots shared the lead with a 1-under-par 71 Wednesday while the tournament?s best bet was 10 strokes down and in grave danger of an early exit in the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic here.

As howling gusts bedeviled the talented field, the history-seeking defending champion Elmer Salvador struggled home with an 81 and would need to score in the low 60s on Thursday to make the cut for the final day.

?The winds blew so hard and the greens were very unreceptive,? Lascuña said in Filipino after his eagle-spiked 35-36 card that also had two birdies and three bogeys.

Veteran Richard Sinfuego, sophomore pro Jay Bayron, Michael Bibat and Marvin Dumandan also cracked par at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in this third leg of the P1-million tournament.

Dumandan also had a roller-coaster round after shooting six birdies. But he double bogeyed No. 8 and dropped a shot in his closing hole for one of his three bogeys for the day.

Mars Pucay, another Asian Tour veteran, was alone in second after shooting a level 72 with the fancied Angelo Que bunched in a four-man group a further stroke behind.

Salvador, the reigning RP Open champion seeking to become the first man to defend a leg in this fledging circuit, also had a 41 on his back nine after a 40 on the front.

The first round scores
71?M. Dumandan 36-35, A. Lascuna 36-35, M. Bibat 35-36, J. Bayron 35-36, R. Sinfuego 34-37; 72?M. Pucay 36-36; 73?R. Glimada 38-35, C. Casas 36-37, F. Aunzo 34-39, A. Que 34-39; 74?O. Sumcad 38-36, P. Echavez (Am) 37-37, A. Murakami 34-40; 75?B. Magada 40-35, R. Depilo 39-36, Z. Gialon (Am) 39-36, P. Villaber 38-37, J. Rates 38-37, R. Sasutil 38-37, Ron Pactolerin 37-38, E. Quiachon 37-38, A. Fernando 35-40, A. Asistio 34-41; 76?R. Bisera 39-37, E. Saban 39-37, R. Garalde 38-38, J. Bernis 38-38, J. Opaco 37-39, G. Bondoc 36-40, C. Villaroman 36-30, E. Arcillas 34-42; 77?J. Pagunsan 41-36, M. Dizon 40-37, C. La?O 36-41, R. Marabe 36-41, D. Zarate 36-41; 78?L. Retuerto 40-38, V. Reyes 40-38, R. Honrubia 40-38, J. Ababa (Am) 40-38, E. Estrera 38-40, G. Rosales 37-41, C. M. Sik (Kor) 37-41, M. Fernando (Am) 37-41, R. Bayron 37-41; 79?R. Pagunsan 44-35, A. Fernando 42-37, M. Tabuena (Am) 41-38, J. Delariarte 40-39, N. Catalan 40-39, E. Madrileno (Am) 39-40, K. Tayao 39-40, E. Vinluan 38-41; 80?E. Rellon 42-38, R. Diocares 41-39, C. Delos Santos 41-39, J. Laput 41-39, R. Gaviola 41-39, D. Sanchez 39-41, A. Villacencio 39-41, Rob Pactolerin 38-42, O. Dungca 38-42; 81?R. Malaga 43-38, R. Torrecampo 42-39, A. Nelles (Am) 41-40, S. Villaber (Am) 40-41, E. Salvador 40-41, R. Abaring 39-42, R. Cadayong 38-43; 82?A. Victoria 42-40, L. Dacudao 40-42, J. Dolojan 40-42, R. Sangil 38-44, G. Sinfuego 37-45