Lascuña shoots 65, leads by 3

Antonio Lascuña. INQUIRER GOLF

TAGAYTAY—Trading power for putting, Tony Lascuña riddled the Splendido course with nine birdies Thursday, including six straight from No. 8, en route to a seven-under 65 and a three-stroke lead over unheralded Rene Menor and Clyde Mondilla in the ICTSI Splendido Classic—which is also the second leg of the PGT Asia Tour.

“My target was just three-under, but my putts were going in,” said Lascuña in Filipino. “Tomorrow (Friday) I’ll aim for five-under to ease the pressure.”

Lascuña, whose previous best finishes at the Laurel, Batangas layout was third three times, also birdied the third, fifth and 17th to tally nines of 33-32. He could have done better were it not for back-to-back bogeys on 14th and 15th.

Menor, the self-taught former caddie from St. Barbara in Iloilo, opened the backside with three straight birdies to shoot a 68 despite bogeys on 14 and 18.

The $100,000 event, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., is backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.

A total of 99 players teed off Thursday with the top 60 plus ties after 36 holes advancing to the money rounds.