Lascuña sizzles with 67, wrests 1-shot lead

DASMARIÑAS, Cavite—Tony Lascuña blitzed the Orchard’s Palmer course with an eagle-spiked 5-under-par 67 that lifted him from four shots down to a one-stroke lead over Australian Scott Barr in the third round of the ICTSI Orchard championship here yesterday.

Lascuña, runner-up  in last week’s Aboitiz Invitational in Cebu, eagled the par-5 No. 6 on top of three birdies in a 12-hole stretch to finish with a 32-35 card and an 11-under 205 total going into the final 18 holes of the $60,000 event closing out the two-week swing of the Asian Development Tour in the country.

“My putting finally clicked although I missed a couple more birdie chances in the closing holes,” said Lascuña, who struggled on the greens of Cebu Country Club in the final round and lost the Aboitiz crown by six to Elmer Salvador.

“I’ll just play my game but I think a four-under card will win it,” added Lascuña, who had earlier rounds of 67-71.

Barr, who opened up with a 66 in the rain-delayed first round before grabbing the solo lead with a 68, could do no better than match par 72 this time and dropped to second at 206.

Playing in a flight behind Lascuña with fellow Aussie Ryan Bulloch and Englishman George Thacker, Barr kept the lead on the frontside with a 35 then lost it with back-to-back bogeys from No. 15 that gave him a 37 on the back.

Rufino Bayron, five down at the start of the round, closed with a 34 for a 69 and moved to solo third at 208 in his best crack at the crown since humbling the pros to rule the ICTSI Valley Open as an amateur in late 2008.

The ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit leader underscored his sharp form by gunning down a pin-high putt for a 3 on No. 6 after reaching the green  with a 4-iron second shot from 200 yards.

Peter Richardson, also of England, matched Lascuña’s 67 and bounced back at 209 while Thacker limped home with a 73 and tumbled to joint fifth at 210 with Singapore’s Lam Zhi Qun.

Reigning Asian Tour OOM champion Juvic Pagunsan, who skipped the event this time, set the record 63 last year.

Other backers of the event are Empire Golf, Titleist, Footjoy, Callaway, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Srixon, Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp with Balls, Studio 23, Pinoygolfer.com and Inquirer Golf.