Michael Bibat clung tenaciously to the lead despite a late double bogey in a round of 5-under-par 67 Thursday halfway through the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic in Davao.
Bibat, who opened with a bogey-free 64 on Wednesday, drove out of bounds on the par-5 15th for a 7 but pitched in for birdie on the next hole to preserve a 33-34 card and a 36-hole 131 tally—one shot clear of Miguel Tabuena— going into the final two rounds of the tournament he won in 2013.
Tabuena fired a second straight 66 and gained a shot on the leader, even as Elmer Salvador made another bold move by shooting an eagle-aided 64 to trail by two in his bid for a first ever back-to-back championship.
“There’s still a long way to go and anything can still happen,” Bibat said. “The good thing is I’m still in the thick of things.”
Ferdie Aunzo, who started the day just a shot off, finished bogey-par-bogey and submitted a 71 for 136, with Clyde Mondilla another shot back after a 68.
Antonio Lascuña still couldn’t gain much ground despite a 69 that kept him tied at 139 with Zannie Boy Gialon, who shot a 70, and Korea’s Park Gyuha, who assembled a 68.
The hottest man on the course on a wet day was Salvador, who turned the back nine upside down with five birdies, including four straight from the 10th, and an eagle 3 on the 15th.
He made the turn at 29 and was on course-record pace after picking up shots on Nos. 1 and 4 only to drop two straight shots from No. 5. Musong R. Castillo