Albatross catapults Ababa into driver’s seat

JONEL Ababa spiked a four-under-par 68 with the rarest of feats—a screaming albatross—yesterday and took command going into the final 18 holes today of the P2-million ICTSI Splendido Classic in Tagaytay.

Ababa, winless on the local tour in almost five years, hit a double-eagle 2 on the 10th hole on the way to a swashbuckling rebound from a lethargic front nine and a 30 coming in to pace Antonio Lascuña and Micah Shin by two shots.

Counting earlier rounds of 69 and 70, Ababa tallied 207 over 54-holes.

He holed his first albatross in the Indonesia leg of the Asian Development Tour in 2012.

Overnight leader Lascuña, who highlighted his 66 on Thursday with a similar back-nine 30, struggled to a 74 and fell into a tie with the American-Korean Shin, who shot a 71.

“That double eagle really turned things around,” said the pint-sized Ababa, whose last win came in 2014 in the Asian Development Tour.

“I played with confidence from there, even after a poor start.”

Ababa, dropped four shots on a three-hole stretch from No. 2 and was fading out of the title chase until that brilliant double eagle. He also birdied three of his last eight holes.

Rey Pagunsan fired a 73 and lay three shots behind, from two at the start of the day—still within striking distance of a first championship in more than a decade.

Elmer Salvador shot a 69 and climbed into a tie with the veteran Pagunsan with South Korean Seon Jun-min matching par to be another shot behind. Musong R. Castillo