Filipino golfer Antonio Lascuna. ROMY HOMILLADA
Antonio Lascuña kept his sizzling form with a five-under-par 67 Thursday and stormed ahead of Angelo Que by six strokes halfway into the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship at the East Course in Mandaluyong.
Underscoring his status as the top Filipino on the Asian Tour this season, Lascuña dominated Day 2 of the P2.5-million tournament with a near-flawless round spiked by six birdies against a single bogey for a two-round total of 137.
Waxing hot in the back nine, Lascuña, who only needs a Top-5 finish to seal the OOM title of the Philippine Golf Tour, birdied five of the last eight holes, including the 18th, which he had bogeyed in the first round to fall into a tie for the lead with Que.
“I feel good about my driving and my short game, despite the strong winds,” the 41-year-old Lascuña, No. 12 on the Asian Tour, said in Filipino.
Que carded an eagle-aided 73 for a 142 total as he struggled in the afternoon winds that bedeviled the field.
Zanie Boy Gialon carded one of only three sub-par rounds for the day with a 70 to move into contention at 144, while Elmer Salvador followed up his 72 with a 73 for solo fourth at 145.
Mark Fernando and James Ryan Lam stood nine shots off the lead with identical 146s, while former Philippine Amateur champion Clyde Mondilla matched par for a 147 like Carl Santos-Ocampo and Miguel Tabuena.
Defending champion Frankie Miñoza dropped to a share of 10th spot with Orlan Sumcad after a 76 and a 148 total.
Fifty-seven players, including 2011 Asian OOM champion Juvic Pagunsan, who added a 75 to a 79, made the halfway cut set at 158.
Que eagled the par-5 13th by sinking a 15-footer set up by a 3-iron from 210 yards.
But the winner of the Open four years ago at the same course had three bogeys, including a three-putt on No. 10.
“Anything can happen in this course and a good round tomorrow (today) will help (my bid),” said Que, who finished joint fifth with Lascuña in last week’s Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia.
The scores:
137—A. Lascuña (70-67); 143—A. Que (70-73); 144 – Z. Gialon (74-70); 145—E. Salvador (72-73); 146—M. Fernando (73-73), J. Lam (71-75); 147—M. Tabuena (76-71), C. Mondilla (75-72), C. Santos-Ocampo (72-75); 148—F. Miñoza (72-76), O. Sumcad (71-77); 149—M. Pucay (76-73), D. Delos Santos (75-74), R. Pagunsan (74-75).