Fernando out front by three

SILANG, Cavite—Mark Fernando gunned down four birdies on his last 16 holes yesterday to fire a 3-under-par 68 and seize a three-shot lead halfway through the P2.5-million ICTSI Riviera Classic at the Langer course here.

The winner of this tournament as an amateur in 2009, Fernando bounced back from an opening-hole bogey with steady play the rest of the way to post a 138 aggregate and a comfortable lead over Marvin Dumandan and Edward Reyes.

Dumandan, who played for this club as an amateur, shot the tournament’s best round thus far—a 66—as he rebounded from a first-round 75 to tie Reyes, the unheralded 19-year-old who assembled a 73, at 141.

Cassius Casas, the veteran who dominated the local scene in the 1990s, returned a second straight 71 and stood just four strokes behind and with a great chance at winning again for the first time since 2010.

First-round leader Gerald Rosales, who opened with  a 67 on Wednesday, ballooned to a 76 marred by a double bogey and six bogeys as he slipped five shots off the pace at 143, in the company of Paul Echavez and Michael Bibat, who fired a 69 and 74, respectively.

Rosales, the Philippine Open champion in 2000 over this same ravine-laced layout, ended his round with three straight bogeys.

Elmer Saban, the winner last week at Splendido in Tagaytay, cracked par with a 70 and was a stroke back of Rosales’ group together with Jun Bernis, who also had a 70, and Jessie Balasabas and Rey Pagunsan.

Balasabas matched par while Pagunsan submitted a 73 to stay in the hunt for the P450,000 champion’s purse.

“The winds didn’t blow that hard again today and this gave us the chance to attack the pins,” Fernando, the former national amateur champion, said in Filipino.

Ryan Lam, who was three shots off the lead after a 70 on Wednesday, skied to an 84 for 154, just a stroke off the cut line.

The long-hitting Orlan Sumcad (78) and the veteran Ruben Sasutil (82) were the biggest casualties, both missing the weekend play by two shots.

Other backers of the event: Nike Golf, Srixon, Custom Clubmakers, Pacsports, Cleveland Golf, Callaway, Ping, Mizuno, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, FootJoy, Titleist, Sharp, BMW and Gergia Energy Foods.