Arnold Villacencio knocked down nine birdies on the way to 7-under-par 65 yesterday and grabbed a two-shot lead over Marvin Dumandan after two rounds of the ICTSI Summit Point Classic in Lipa City.
The unheralded Villacencio, superb with his approaches, put himself yet again in another position for a breakthrough win on a 36-hole 135 aggregate with Dumandan lurking two strokes back after a 71.
“It was just one of those days when my drives landed in the fairways and I was making a lot of putts,” the soft-spoken Villacencio said in Filipino. He went four under after just five holes before dropping his first shot on the sixth.
“The challenge now is how to keep it up (for the last two rounds),” added Villacencio, who finished with birdies on four of his last six holes, including three straight from No. 15.
Dumandan had an awful day on the greens, needing 33 putts to complete a 35-36 card. The long-hitter from Davao needed just 26 in signing for a bogey-free, eagle-aided 66 in the opening round for a share of the lead with Dante Becierra.
Villacencio, who has had some pretty ugly collapses while in title contention, will be chased after in the last two rounds by some of the biggest names in the game today, including Antonio Lascuña, who shot a second straight 69 like Paul Echavez and trailed by just three shot.
Becierra, the former Hong Kong Amateur champ who was also flawless on Wednesday, slowed down with a level 72 and slipped to 138 in the company of Lascuña and Echavez.
Anthony Fernando also made a move, shooting a 66 to be another shot back like Cassius Casas, Clyde Mondilla and Jonel Ababa, who fired a 67, 69 and 70, respectively.
Two big names—Charles Hong and Rufino Bayron, leg winners this season—failed to make the halfway cut pegged at four-over 148, shooting a 71 and 73, respectively, to miss the mark by a shot.
Miguel Tabuena followed up an opening 70 with a 71 and stood six shots behind, with former Philippine Open champion Elmer Salvador at 142 after a 72.