Bayron settles for a 71, paces Japanese by 3

DASMARINAS, Cavite—Rufino Bayron slowed down with a one-under-par 71 Friday and settled for a three-shot lead over Japan’s Tomokazu Yoshinaga going into the final round of the ICTSI Orchard Championship here.

Rufino, who has long lived in the shadows of his more successful elder brother Jay, moved on the cusp of his first victory as a pro despite roller-coaster 37-34 card that featured five birdies against four bogeys. With earlier rounds of 69 and 62, Bayron pooled 202 over the defenseless Palmer layout.

Yoshinaga returned a second straight 67 for 205, even as Ferdie Aunzo, the former Philippine team spearhead who has struggled in the last two years, put himself in contention with a 65 to be just four shots behind.

Jonel Ababa and Ryan Lam fired contrasting 68s to stay mathematically in the hunt at 207, while favorite Angelo Que couldn’t get going and shot a 72 to be eight off the pace in the company of Arnold Villacencio, who shot a 69, and Japan’s Masaru Takahashi.

“I still have to hold it all together for the final day,” said Bayron in Filipino as he chases his first win in five years. He won the Valley leg in 2009 as an amateur. “I need to do better with my iron game to win.”

He put himself in title contention after assembling a record-setting 62 on Thursday, which erased the ADT’s previous record of 63 held by the temperamental Juvic Pagunsan in winning here in 2011.

Yoshinaga, the ninth placer at Riviera last week, didn’t have problems with his iron shots but had two three-putts which could have gotten him closer to Bayron. The Japanese had seven birdies.

Aunzo, who has groped for form after winning at Forest Hills three years ago, returned the low round of the day after shooting eight birdies, four of them in succession from the fifth hole.

Thirty-seven of the surviving field of 55 are under par through 54 holes, making this event one of the lowest scoring in the ADT for the year.

The other backers of the event: Nike Golf, Pacsports Phils. Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Mizuno, Empire Golf, Footjoy, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, Sharp and KZG.

Leading third-round scores:

202—R. Bayron 69-62-71; 205—T. Yoshinaga (JPN) 71-67-67; 206—F. Aunzo 72-69-65; 207—J. Ababa 69-70-68, J.R. Lam 71-68-68; 208—A. Villavicencio 68-71-69, M. Takahashi (JPN) 68-69-71, A. Que 67-69-72; 209—M. Bibat 70-70-69, C. Mondilla 68-72-69, R. Menor 76-63-70; 210—R.J. Caracella (AUS) 67-74-69, B. Munson (US) 70-69-71, K. Jahns 71-68-71, K. Nakazato (JPN) 75-69-66, C. Casas 67-71-72, C. Lutton (SCO) 68-69-73