2nd 66 fires Villacencio to 3-stroke lead

Arnold Villacencio fired a second straight 66 yesterday and took another step closer to a breakthrough victory after wresting a three-stroke lead over Michael Bibat and Antonio Lascuña halfway through the ICTSI Negros Occidental Challenge in Bacolod.

The soft-spoken journeyman, playing out of Fernando Air Base Golf Club—the old but little-known course in Lipa City with the country’s only par-6 hole—carded nines of 32-34, highlighting it with an eagle 2 on No. 4 of Marapara.

That left Villacencio with a 132 aggregate for a still precarious buffer going into the final two days over Bibat, who had a matching 66, and Lascuña, one of the most dangerous men in the field, who assembled a 68.

Elmer Salvador dropped out of a tie for the lead with a lukewarm 70 and stood four shots off at 136, with Jonel Ababa shooting a 69 to be another shot back at 137.

Other players under par

Carl Santos-Ocampo, 2012 champion Zanie Boy Gialon and Paul Echavez were the only other men with sub-par totals at 139 after shooting 69, 69 and 70, respectively.

Amateur LJ Go, the reigning national champion who is on vacation from his studies in the United States, added a 67 to his opening 73 to be at level 140, tied with Mark Fernando, who shot a 68, and Ferdie Aunzo, who scrambled for a 71.

“Even though I hit the trees [on No. 4] in the first round, I knew I had that shot. That’s why I went for it again today,” Villacencio, whose best finish on tour was a couple of third places, said in Filipino.

That eagle came after he hit a driver off the tee over a thick line of trees on the right and then holed a 60-degree shot from 50 yards.

Most dangerous pursuers

Lascuña and Salvador loom as the most dangerous from among the pursuers, with Lascuña going bogey-less yesterday and Salvador managing to keep within striking distance despite a prosaic performance on the greens.

“Three-down is not impossible [with two rounds to go],” said Lascuña, the back-to-back Order of Merit champion seeking his third win this year. “We will get to see a clearer picture after the third round.”

“I just have to toughen up and try to play through the pressure,” said Villacencio.

The event’s other backers are Nike Golf, Pacsports, Srixon, FootJoy, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, Callaway, Mizuno, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Sharp and KZG. Media partners are Balls, Pinoygolfer.com, Inquirer Golf and ABS-CBN Sports+Action.  Musong R. Castillo