Korean-American Micah Shin carded a five-under 67 Thursday to post a one-shot lead over four others, including defending champion Tony Lascuña, halfway through the ICTSI Luisita Championship in Tarlac.
Starting at the back of Luisita Golf and Country Club, the Davao-based Shin made three birdies inside 10 feet then added two more at the front to cap a 34-33 round that pushed him past Americans Brett Munson and John Michael O’Toole, South African Mathiam Keyser and Lascuña, with a 136 total.
“I played terribly good,” said the 20-year-old Shin, who posted his maiden win in the Philippine Golf Tour by beating Lascuña by two for the 2016 CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open crown held at the same course last September.
“It was an amazing round.”
The 47-year-old Lascuña came through with three-birdie strings on both nines plus another birdie on No. 7 to match Shin’s 67 and gained a share of second at 137.
Lascuña could have tied Shin were if not for a five-foot missed birdie putt on No. 9.
O’Toole and Munson tallied 70s, while Keyser settled for a 71 with two three-putts as they hounded Shin at 137 with 36 holes to go in the event supported by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
“I could’ve tied him (Shin). But I rushed things up and didn’t study the line of my putt well,” said Lascuña, who compensated for a double-bogey on No. 11 with three straight birdies from No. 12, repeated it from No. 3, before drilling another birdie on No. 7 for a closing 32.
Rufino Bayron went five-under after 13 holes but bogeyed the next to tally a 68 and a 139 with first round co-leader John Catlin, who tumbled with a 73.
Jhonnel Ababa fired a 68 to move to joint eighth with Finland’s Teemu Putkonen (67) at 140 while Solaire Philippine Open champion Steve Lewton of England also rebounded with a 68 for 141 in the company of Albin Engino and Japanese Toru Nakajima, who fired 70s, American Nicolas Paez (71) and Japanese Kei Takahashi (69). —ROY LUARCA