With big cushion, Eastridge seeks strong finish

Jeff Lumbo —MUSONG R. CASTILLO

BACOLOD—Eastridge-Primehomes is playing its cards close to its chest, for the centerpiece Men’s Championship division title is now theirs to lose with still two rounds to go.

After a second-round effort of 105 points evenly distributed among three aces, Eastridge has opened up a 12-point lead over a new chaser in Tagaytay Highlands-Team IMG, and coming up with the teams that will play the final two days on different layouts is the team’s main concern up until late Wednesday night.

“We want the most balanced teams possible [for the final two rounds],” nonplaying Eastridge skipper Gimo Asuncion told the Inquirer hours after pro-bound Jeff Lumbo, Alex Bisera and Ronel Taga-an each fired one-over-par 71s for 35 points at tricky Binitin.

“There’s no use going full blast [for the third round],” Asuncion said. “What’s important for us is to figure out the two teams that will get the job done [by Friday].”

Padding the lead

Eastridge takes a 204 total into the third round also at Binitin, before the final round is played in two days at tough-as-nails Marapara. And Asuncion would welcome his squad padding the lead after Thursday but knows that they cannot win it in the third round.

“It’s always nice when you’re leading,” he went on. “But we would want to stick to the game plan that we have coming over and that is to play steady.”

Tagaytay Highlands got 34 points from Joaquin Tolentino and 32s from Raymund Sangil and Masaichi Otake for 192 overall as it dislodged defending Manila Southwoods from second spot, with the Carmona-based squad churning out only 92 points.

That is the worst spot that Southwoods is at possibly in the last decade or so, and nonplaying captain Thirdy Escaño would need truly low rounds from his gritty bunch in order to matter on Friday.