Tagaytay—If Rufino Bayron’s scoring trend continues, the 2017 ICTSI Splendido Classic crown will be his Sunday.
After an opening 69 and a second round 68, Bayron shot a five-under 67 Saturday and stormed to a four-shot lead over Clyde Mondilla and a charging Mars Pucay in the tournament serving as second leg of the PGT Asia Tour.
Leaning on six birdies against a lone bogey, Bayron pounced on erstwhile closest pursuer Tony Lascuña’s late collapse to pool a 12-under 204 total and inch closer to ending a two-year title drought.
Mondilla shot an eagle-spiked 67 for 208 like Pucay, who fired the day’s best 66.
Ahead by one at tee-off, Bayron fell by two behind Lascuña with a bogey on No. 6. He regained control with a four-birdie splurge from No. 7 to 11 and pulled away as Lascuña stumbled with a triple-bogey 7 on the 13th en route to a 40 at the back and a 71.
The favored Lascuña landed at 209 with Jhonnel Ababa, who settled for a 70 after bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15.
Despite a huge lead, Bayron remains wary of his chances for the top $17,500 purse in the $100,000 tournament sponsored by ICTSI.
“No lead is safe here at Splendido, especially in the presence of the wind,” said Bayron, who last won at Orchard in 2015.