Richard Abaring and Rico Depilo occupied the first two positions at the start of the P1 million ICTSI-Pueblo de Oro championship after shooting a 67 and 68, respectively, at the up-and-down layout in Cagayan de Oro.
The obscure duo stood out on a trying day, with Depilo spiking his round with an eagle 2 on the 14th to put his bid for a breakthrough pro title going.
Cookie La’O, the former junior star also seeking to win for the first time as a pro, fired a 69 with Chris delos Santos firing a 70.
Rufino Bayron, rookie Charles Hong, the veteran Rey Pagunsan, Orlan Sumcad and Florencio Pioquinto all fired 71s in the chase for the P200,000 champion’s purse.
Multiple leg winner Marvin Dumandan returned a level 72 like Mark Fernando, Benjie Magada, Gerald Rosales, Jet Mathay and Ferdie Aunzo.
Abaring, who is playing out of the military-operated Navy layout, had six birdies against a lone bogey on No. 5 to record probably his finest start in an event of this magnitude.
Depilo, meanwhile, started bogey-bogey before draining a pitch-in eagle on the 14th. Depilo missed six cuts this year. Musong R. Castillo