TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite— Cassius Casas carded a bogey-free six-under 66 to post a one-stroke lead over Jhonnel Ababa at the start of the season-ending ICTSI Tournament Players Golf Championship at Sherwood Hills Golf Club here Wednesday.
Casas gunned down three birdies on each nine, capped by a 35-feet birdie putt on par-3 No. 16, to set in motion his bid to save a winless season.
Ababa, runner-up in last week’s Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open also at Luisita, started at the back and hit three birdies against a bogey then closed out with a 33 to card a 67.
Zanieboy Gialon missed joining Ababa at second with a late bogey on No. 7, dropping to joint third at 68 with Rufino Bayron, Michael Bibat and Korean Park Jun Hyeok.
Jay Bayron rallied with three birdies at the front to likewise tally a bogey-less 69 for joint seventh with Korean Woo Seong Bin.
Tony Lascuña, vowing to atone for his failed title bid at Wack Wack and poor finish at CAT Open, settled for a 70 for joint ninth with Luisita Championship winner Charles Hong, Clyde Mondilla, Arnold Villacencio and Nilo Salahog.