MANILA, Philippines—Rufino Bayron fired a five-under-par 67 Wednesday to take a one-stroke lead over top guns Antonio Lascuña and Angelo Que after the opening round of the P2 million ICTSI Splendido Classic in Tagaytay.
Bayron, whose final round 79 here last year enabled elder brother Jay to come from nine strokes down and win, assembled a 34-33 card as he started his quest for the P560,000 top purse on the right foot.
Que and Lascuña sizzled on different parts of the course, with Angelo shooting a 33 at the back and the reigning three-time Order of Merit winner Lascuña turning the front nine upside down with a 32.
Korean Lee Hyun-woo highlighted a back nine 32 with an ace on No. 15, leading four local bets, including Elmer Salvador and the defending champion Jay, with 69s even as Miguel Tabuena paced four others with 70s, among them Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk.
Cassius Casas, who topped the rich The Country Club Invitational last year, scored a 71 like Michael Bibat and Kim Thomas and Jung Yong-hun of Korea.
Rufino had just one bogey, which came on his penultimate hole—the par-3 eighth—after he missed the green.
Que, meanwhile, opened up with two straight birds before playing his last 16 holes at two-under after a bogey on the seventh and three birdies in the back nine.
Lascuña birdied four of his first six holes and looked headed to a truly low round before bogeying two of his first five in the back nine to settle for that 68.
There were a total of 17 players who cracked par and six who matched it at the ravine-laced layout, with Clyde Mondilla among those who scored 72s.