Jay Bayron tops Aboitiz golf with hot 64

CEBU—Jay Bayron turned the Cebu Country Club course upside down with a record 6-under-par 64 Saturday to win the ICTSI-presented Aboitiz Invitational 2011 pulling away from an awe-struck pack.

The 32-year-old runner-up to American Berry Henson in this year’s Philippine Open at Wack Wack, gunned down three straight birdies from No. 15 to highlight a back nine 30 and win by five shots over four players with a 278 tally.

The bogey-less round, which now stands as a new record for the club as a par-70, enabled Bayron to finish as the only man under-par, which was quite unimaginable four days ago with the field struggling to even match regulation because of its rock-hard greens.

“I am very happy,” Bayron, who was tied for the lead with Salvador after their first nine holes, said in Filipino after posing for pictures and signing autographs for fans.

His first victory this year was worth $11,375 out of the $65,000 pot in this leg of the Asian Development Tour.

“Everything just worked for me today, especially my putting. But it was a hard grind despite the (final) score.”

Jonathan Moore, an American veteran of the US Open, returned a 70 to join the four-man group that finished second at 283 and then heaped the ultimate praise on the soft-spoken Bayron.

“Sixty-four was really special out there,” said Moore, who teed off tied for the lead with Elmer Salvador. “I enjoyed watching him and being around him for the whole round. It was special.”

Salvador, whose 18-month winless streak continued, also returned a 70 even as Antonio Lascuña and Marvin Dumandan both fired 67s to also finish at 283.

Dumandan failed to salvage second alone after closing out with a bogey when his ball moved at address for his second shot just 115 yards out.

“I was already in my back swing. So rather than being penalized two strokes for having my ball move, I decided to hit a moving ball for my second shot,” explained Dumandan in Filipino.

“That was quite unbelievable,” Cassius Casas, another former PH Open champ, said of Bayron’s round after closing out with a 68 for 284.

Rufino Bayron, Jay’s younger brother, tallied 286 after a 71 with Ebarra Quiachon finishing a further stroke back after a 72. Sri Lankan Mithun Perera fired a 72 and Jonel Ababa submitted a 71 for 288 to round out the Top 10.

The final scores:
(Filipino unless stated)
278 – J. Bayron 71-74-69-64; 283 – J. Moore (US) 72-71-70-70, E. Salvador 71-71-71-70, A. Lascuna 73-74-69-67, M. Dumandan 70-75-71-67; 284 – C. Casas 71-73-72-68; 286 – R. Bayron 73-71-71-71; 287 – E. Quiachon 76-72-69-70; 288 – M. Perera (LKA) 74-71-71-72, J. Ababa 73-73-71-71; 289 – A. Fernando 73-72-71-73, M. Pucay 77-73-69-70, M. Docking (US) 73-73-74-69; 290 – TJ Kim (KOR) 75-75-68-72, F. Aunzo 74-74-73-69; 291 – A. Asistio 71-73-74-73;