Shin grabs lead with blazing 65

Micah Shin drained five of his birdies going out to easily erase a one-stroke overnight deficit and went on to shoot a sparkling seven-under-par 65 yesterday to zoom in front by four shots going into the final 18 holes of the P2.5-million Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open at Luisita.

In all, the reedy American-Korean, who honed his game as a youngster at Apo Golf in Davao, gunned down eight birdies in a 31-34 effort for a 12-under-204 total, leaving the fancied Antonio Lascuña and the rest of the field eating his dust and moving on the cusp of the biggest win of his young career.

“Everything fell in place, especially my putting,” said Shin, who strung up four birdies from No. 2. Shin is coming off a fourth-place finish in the tour’s Splendido stop in Tagaytay two weeks ago.

Lascuña, the overnight leader, pulled in front by two shots after an opening birdie but failed to sustain this and settled for a second straight 70 for 208.

Long-hitting Clyde Mondilla gave himself a glimmer of hope after firing a 68 to be another shot back.

Marvin Dumandan, the veteran who has been winless for more than two years, also assembled a 68 for 210, with Jay Bayron and former Philippine Open champions Cassius Casas and Elmer Salvador sharing fifth at 211s after rounds of 71, 67 and 66, respectively.

Ferdie Aunzo, a shot behind Lascuña overnight, ballooned to a 75 under lift, clean and place rules to drop to 214, in a tie with Zannie Boy Gialon and Australian Peter Stojanovski, who carded 71s.

Mondilla was flawless in a 33-35 card, cracking par for the second straight round to be within striking distance of a fourth title this season.

Bayron birdied two of his last three holes, including the par-3 17th signature hole, to stay mathematically alive in the title picture of the penultimate leg of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.  Musong R. Castillo