Lascuña grabs lead with sizzling 66

ANTONIO Lascuña turned the last nine holes of Splendido upside down yesterday on the way to a six-under-par 66 and vaulted into a two-shot lead over the veteran Rey Pagunsan halfway through the P2-million ICTSI Splendido Classic in Tagaytay.

Lascuña shot nine birdies—including five straight from No. 10 and another two that capped a fiery 30 coming in—to post a 36-hole total of 135.

Already the winner at Eagle Ridge, Forest Hills and Marapara in Bacolod, Lascuña would have shot better if not for three bogeys in the round.

Pagunsan, who is off to his best start in years, followed up an opening 67 with a 70 to fall two back from one down at the start of the round.

Korean first-round leader Seok Jun-min scrambled to a 73 to be four shots down along with Jonel Ababa and Jay Bayron.

Micah Shin, the American-Korean who polished his game as a kid at Apo Golf in Davao, returned a second straight 69 for 138—well within range of a first title this season.

“I worked on my putting for a week because I know that putting will be the key here,” said Lascuña, who was part of the Philippine team in the 1990s like Pagunsan, in Filipino.

Bayron, seeking a third title this season, fired a 69, while Ababa, who hasn’t won since winning three legs as a rookie five years ago, carded a 70.

Clyde Mondilla managed another 74 and fell 13 shots behind Lascuña.

Jobim Carlos, the fancied rookie who lost in a playoff to Mondilla in the Manila Masters at Eastridge, ballooned to a 77 for 149, with Orlan Sumcad, whom Mondilla beat in a playoff at Mount Malarayat last Saturday, a shot farther back after a 76.

Unheralded Paul Echavez fired a 67 to blow into contention at 140, with Sweden’s Paul Stojanovski shooting a 70 to be another shot behind like former Philippine Open champion Elmer Salvador, who assembled a 68.

Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk and Michael Bibat rounded out the Top 10 after carding 69 and 74, respectively, for 142s. Musong R. Castillo