Hot Bayron moves up by 2 shots

JAY BAYRON was again flawless on a humid and demanding day, firing a 5-under-par 67 for a two-shot lead over new pursuer Elmer Salvador after 36 holes of the P1.5-million ICTSI Summit Point Classic Wednesday in Lipa City.

The soft-spoken campaigner from Davao, seeking a first victory in more than two years, picked up four of his five birdies on his first nine—the back—on the way to a 132 aggregate over the well-manicured layout that designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. calls as his “inspiration.”

Salvador birdied two of his first three holes on the way to an awe-inspiring 65, tying South Korea’s Park Jun-hyeok, who returned a second straight 67 for 134.

Jonel Ababa and Orlan Sumcad were at 135 after similar 68s with the tour’s three-time Order of Merit winner Antonio Lascuña also going bogey-free in his 68 for 137.

Rico Depilo and Keanu Jahns, who started the day just a shot off Bayron, shot themselves in the foot with 73s that left them seven strokes adrift, in the company of Clyde Mondilla, who returned a 69.

Twenty nine others made the cut pegged at 146 with Albin Engino rallying with a 71 to tie Koreans Anthony Kim (72) and Woo Seong-bin (72), Tonlits Asistio (74), Kevin Tayao (74), Miguel Ochoa (74), Randy Garalde (75), Jan Tambogon (75) and Jet Mathay (75).

Charles Hong, who upstaged a stellar field to rule the Luisita Championship last May, hobbled with a 77 and failed to advance at 150.  Musong R. Castillo