With course knowledge serving him very well, Jessie Balasabas fired a bogey-free six-under-par 66 yesterday to lead a professional tournament for the first time in his career, with Zannie Boy Gialon one shot behind after the first round of the P1.5 million ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational.
The 28-year-old Balasabas, a product of the defunct National Caddies Open program based in the Laguna golf complex, drained four of his six birdies on the front nine of the heavily wooded North layout.
Seven of the top 13 players on the leaderboard were at one time or another Canlubang mainstays in the amateur ranks.
Gialon’s round was saved by a hot putter as he shot seven birdies against two bogeys. He missed the green and dropped a shot each on two par-3s but needed just 26 putts to complete a 32-35 card and put himself in the hunt for a second title this season.
Cassius Casas, a former Philippine Open champ whose career as an amateur also started in Canlubang, opened with a bogey but played the rest at five under, shooting an eagle-spiked 68 like Dante Becierra.
Mark Fernando was all alone at 69.
“Everything worked out there for me today from tee to green,” said Balasabas, a member of the national team in several international tournaments, in Filipino. “The challenge is to keep playing this way and hopefully go all the way.”
Charles Hong, the Sherwood Hills leg champion who missed the cut at Summit Point three weeks ago, also started hot, carding a 70 to lead eight others in a huge group that trails Balasabas by four shots.
Arnold Villacencio, the journeyman who ruled the Summit stop before boldly declaring he has a “90 percent chance” of winning here, fired a 76 and has a lot of work to do to march into the final two rounds.
The event is backed by Nike Golf, Pacsports Phils. Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Mizuno, Empire Golf, Footjoy, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, Sharp, KZG and Rudy Project.