Lightly regarded Benjie Magada and Justin Quiban upstaged the heavyweights in the ICTSI Manila Masters at Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal, Wednesday.
Banking on strong backside stints, Magada and Quiban carded four-under 68s in windy condition to post an early one-shot lead over reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit king Tony Lascuna and Japanese teener Genki Okada.
Magada, who missed the cut in the PGT kickoff leg at Anvaya, birdied the last two holes to tally nines of 35-33, while Quiban, who landed No. 25 in the Order of Merit as a rookie last year, canned four birdies at the back where he teed off and negated a bogey on No. 1 with a birdie on No. 4 for a 36-32.
“My game clicked despite the tough conditions with the wind blowing from all over,” said Magada, who is bidding to end a long title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Bucking a bout with arthritis, Lascuña bested co-favorite Angelo Que in the featured flight, negating a bogey with six birdies only to tumble with closing back-to-back missed green bogeys for a 69.
Okada, 19, spiked his round with birdies on Nos. 5, 8, 10 and 13, but missed sharing top spot with a bogey on the 16th. —ROY LUARCA