ANTONIO Lascuña birdied the two par-5s coming home on the way to a two-under-par 70 and a one-stroke lead over Ferdie Aunzo and two foreign bets halfway through the P2.5-million Azucarera de Tarlac Open at Luisita Golf Club yesterday.
Needing nothing less than a victory here to put a fourth Order of Merit title away, the 44-year-old Lascuña gunned down three birdies in all for the day to pool a 36-hole total of 138.
First-round co-leader Elmer Salvador struggled to a 77 to be seven shots behind Lascuña. Aunzo, American-Korean Micah Shin and Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk carded similar 69s to breathe down Lascuña’s neck.
“Conditions were ideal today,” said Lascuña, already the winner of four tour legs this season. “There was hardly any wind out there.”
Jay Bayron returned a second straight 70 to be two off the pace like the veteran Rey Pagunsan, who is coming off his best finish in years after contending for the Splendido championship two weeks ago.
Pagunsan, the sweet-swinging pro at Manila Southwoods, shot a 69 like Clyde Mondilla, the long-hitter from Bukidnon who caught Ramil Bisera and Rico Depilo at 141.
Bisera and Depilo, who started the day just one shot behind Lascuña and Salvador, signed for 72s.
Aunzo and Van Der Valk were flawless in carding their 69s, while Shin had a roller-coaster round with five birdies that went with back-nine bogeys.
Bayron, who is in contention for the OOM after back-to-back victories in the Aboitiz Invitational and Riviera stops, started at the back nine and was nursing a three-under card before signing for a double bogey 6 on the difficult 18th hole. Musong R. Castillo