After 54 holes: Moore fires 70, catches Salvador

CEBU CITY—Getting better each day, American Jonathan Moore matched par 70 Friday to catch Elmer Salvador on top in the ICTSI-presented $65,000 Aboitiz Invitational 2011.

The 26-year-old Moore picked up two critical shots on the back nine to put himself in prime position for a first major tour win with a 54-hole 213 aggregate over the unforgiving Cebu Country Club course here.

Salvador continued to rue his putting and settled for a third straight 71, even as Jay Bayron, who won an all-Filipino version of this event last year, fired a 69 to advance within a stroke of the joint leaders.

Six players stood three off the pace at 215 and another seven were just five strokes away going into the final round of this Asian Tour Development leg.

Rufino Bayron carded a 71 to pace the six-man logjam at 215 while Antonio Lascuña (69) and Cassius Casas (72) led the group at 216.

“What I am excited about is that I am getting better each round,” said Moore, a member of the US team in the Walker Cup along with Dustin Johnson and Ricky Fowler in 2007. He started with a 72 and added 71 in the second round.

“It’s hard to get out and think of shooting under-par,” added Moore, who birdied the 11th and the par-5 16th. “But if I can continue to do that (improve on his score) tomorrow, I think I have a chance.”

Salvador, the former Philippine Open champion who is winless since ruling the Mount Malarayat leg of the ICTSI Tour in February last year, dropped out of the solo lead with a bogey 5 on No. 17.

Four holes earlier, Salvador admitted to losing his concentration. He missed the par-3 13th and three-putting for a double bogey.

“I’m still in it despite the way I have been putting for the last three days,” Salvador said in Filipino. “I just can’t seem to drop putter-length putts. I just hope my luck improves.”

The greens were more receptive yesterday and several players made their move, including the Bayron brothers and the unheralded Ebarra Quiachon, who fired a 69 to be at 217 together with Jonel Ababa, who had a 71.

Lascuña, who has had several bridesmaid’s finishes in the local circuit, gunned down three straight birds from No. 2 only to bogey the 15th and 17th holes and miss tying for the lead.

Another foreigner very well in the mix was Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera, who shot a second consecutive 71 to join Lascuña’s group that also included Anthony Fernando and Marvin Dumandan, who both carded 71s.

“I still have a big chance,” said Jay Bayron, who won with an 11-under total over 54 holes last year when the course played as a par-72.

Bayron, who also won the season-ending Canlubang leg last year, had three birdies and two bogeys, but said he could have gone lower if not for driver-length putts for birdie that he missed on the 16th and 17th holes.

The leading scores:
(Filipino unless stated)
213—J. Moore (USA) 72-71-70, E. Salvador 71-71-71; 214—J. Bayron 71-74-69; 215—R. Bayron 73-71-71; 216—A. Lascuña 73-74-69, A. Fernando 73-72-71, M. Perera (LKA) 74-71-71, M. Dumandan 70-75-71, C. Casas 71-73-72; 217—E. Quiachon 76-72-69, J. Ababa 73-73-71; 218—TJ Kim (KOR) 75-75-68, A. Rohana 75-73-70, CT Peng (TPE) 75-73-70, E. Rellon 74-72-72, A. Asistio 71-73-74; 219—M. Pucay 77-73-69; 220—D. Zarate 75-75-70, E. Saban 76-73-71, M. Tabuena 72-77-71, M. Nakagawa (JPN) 75-72-73, M. Docking (USA) 73-73-74, M. Bibat 73-72-75.