NICOLAS Paez of the United States was flawless in carving out a four-under-par 68 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead over countryman Blake Snyder and Filipino Jay Bayron after second round play in the $100,000 Aboitiz Invitational was called due to threat of lightning at Wack Wack East yesterday.
The long-hitting Paez hit three of his four birdies in the front nine for a 33-35 card, leading Bayron and Snyder by a shot with a 36-hole 137 total in the Asian Development Tour event won by the absent Juvic Pagunsan last year at Southwoods.
Bayron, after carving out a 67 on Wednesday, returned a 71 , while Snyder fired a 68.
There were several flights that failed to finish, but none of them would have gotten close to the top three. Those left stranded will try to complete their rounds starting at 6:30 a.m. today before the cut is made, where only the top 50 scores and ties will advance.
Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan also shot a 71 and was the last player under-par at 143 as the tree-lined layout, for years the eminent home of the Philippine Open, bared its fangs and allowed just 12 players to submit sub-par scores for the day.
Clyde Mondilla, who has two victories in the co-sanctioning ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour this year, is on the bubble after shooting a 78 for 151, tied for 47th to 53rd.
Antonio Lascuna, a four-time winner this season, safely advanced to weekend play after shooting a 70. But being nine shots off, the 47-year-old would have to fire a truly low round today to have a chance at winning.
Rookie Jobim Carlos, who opened with a 70 on Wednesday, fired a 75 to be eight shots behind, with Elmer Salvador, the champion here two straight years from 2012, another shot adrift after firing a 74 for 146.
Micah Shin, an American-Korean who calls the Philippines home, shot another 72 for 144, tied with Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski and Malaysia’s George Gangranata, who also had 72s, and Aussie David Gleeson, who fired a 71.