ILOILO—Big-hitting Orlan Sumcad rebounded from a triple-bogey on No. 2 with three birdies in the last six holes to fire a four-under 66 and grab a one-stroke lead over Angelo Que at the start of the P1 million ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge here yesterday.
Sumcad, still chasing the big one in 12 years, pressed his bid early, hit four birdies in a flawless start at the back nine of the par 36-34 Sta. Barbara layout only to reel back when he drove out-of-bounds on the second.
But the Binitin native in Bacolod now based at Mt. Malarayat in Lipa, Batangas, fought back with birdies on Nos. 4 and 6 before making another on the final hole to wrest the lead back from Que.
A former three-time Asian Tour leg winner and winner over Sumcad in the ICTSI Classic crown at Malarayat last year, Que birdied three of the last five holes to shoot a 67, a stroke ahead of rookie pro Clyde Mondilla.
Jonel Ababa, who nipped Jay Bayron in a playoff to rule this leg last year and spark a three-leg victory run in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., outplayed fancied Juvic Pagunsan in the last flight, finishing with a bogey-free 69 to tie six others for fourth in a crowded leaderboard.
Also shooting 69s were Albin Engino, Randy Garalde, Kim Chang Hoi, Rey Pagunsan, Peter Villaber and last week’s ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic winner Zanie Boy Gialon.
The 22-year-old Gialon, who edged Order of Merit leader Tony Lascuña in a playoff to top the rain-shortened Bacolod leg of the event sponsored by ICTSI, birdied two of the first four holes at the back but bogeyed the par-5 14th before settling for pars the rest of the way.
Pagunsan, fresh from a breakthrough stint in the British Open, found the Sta. Barbara layout not to his liking, turning in a birdie-less six-over 76 marred by a double-bogey on the 18th.
The reigning Asian Tour No. 1 and local OOM champion stood in 53rd place with seven others, including Artemio Murakami, and in danger of missing the 40-player cut in the 54-hole tournament.
The other backers of the circuit are Sharp, Nike Golf, Callaway, Titleist, Srixon, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno and Foot Joy with support from Event Captain Inc., Omnisource Inti’l. TPGAP and media partners Balls, A Round of Golf, Inquirer Golf, Studio 23, Pinoygolfer.com and Impact.