Antonio Lascuña stood out on a truly trying day, shooting a one-under-par 71 to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the ICTSI Championship at Wack Wack’s fabled East layout in Mandaluyong.
The 44-year-old Lascuña gunned down two birdies against a single birdie for a 36-35 card, his only dropped shot coming at the demanding par-3 No. 8 which has claimed many aspirants’ dreams in the past.
Zannie Boy Gialon, Charles Hong and Dutchman Guido Van der Valk fired 72s with Angelo Que and the veteran Mars Pucay shooting 73s along with four others to just be two shots behind Lascuña.
The East layout, which has stood the test of time to still be one of the most difficult tests of golf in the country, showed its teeth early with several big guns struggling right in the first day.
Miguel Tabuena fired a 74, former Philippine Open champions Robert Pactolerin and Elmer Salvador returned 76s and recent leg winner Jay Bayron scrambled to shoot a 78.
Bayron, who finished second to American Berry Henson in the Philippine Open three years ago, had a 41 in the back side and only had one birdie for the round over the tree-lined layout.
This event is particularly important in determining the Order of Merit champion for the year, with Lascuña shooting for a fourth straight crown. The prize money here is a handsome P650,000 out of the P3.5 million pot.