2 foreign bets lead with 68s

SILANG, Cavite—Nils Floren of Sweden and Englishman Grant Jackson fired three-under-par 68s Wednesday to share the opening round lead in the rain-hit ICTSI Riviera Classic at Langer course here.

Floren bogeyed the tough 18th hole to lose the solo lead and settle for a tie with Jackson as they paced a five-man group—that included four local bets led by the veteran Robert Pactolerin—with a one-shot lead.

The 53-year-old Pactolerin, who also campaigns in senior events in Japan, closed out with three birdies on the back nine to catch Michael Bibat, Elmer Salvador, unknown Albin Engino and Malaysian Arie Irawan at the top.

Bibat, the former Asian Games bronze medalist seeking his first international win as a pro, also leaned on a solid finish even as Salvador used a hot start to join the logjam and move into position for a first win this year.

Engino, a product of the defunct National Caddies Open program from Bacolod, fired a 31 at the back to highlight his round, while Irawan bogeyed the ninth—his last hole—to miss grabbing a piece of the lead.

“Somehow, everything worked for me today,” said Pactolerin, the 1990 Open champion and Masters winner at Villamor the following year, said in Filipino. “I, too, am surprised at how well I played, considering the conditions. That’s golf.”

India’s Shubhankar Sharma and Hashizume Mitsuhiko of Japan fired 70s as the day’s last par-breakers.

Charles Hong eagled the 10th and birdied the next but had four bogeys the rest of his front nine, settling for a level 71 like Thailand’s Sattaya Supupramai, England’s Peter Richardson, Aussie Darren Tan and the Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena and Keanu Jahns.

The winds blew hard and made the Langer layout of the complex here even tougher.

Antonio Lascuña, the prohibitive top local bet, used a new driver and settled for a 72 like Thais Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Poosit Supupramai, Suppakorn Uthaipat, and Pijit Petchkasem, American Brett Munson, Japan’s Tenka Terada and Tomokazu Yoshinaga and local bets Ferdie Aunzo and James Ryan Lam.

The other backers of the 72-hole event are Nike Golf, Pacsports Phils. Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Mizuno, Empire Golf, Footjoy, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, Sharp and KZG with ABS-CBN Sports & Action, Balls and Inquirer Golf as media partners.