Villacencio grabs lead

Arnold Villacencio sizzled on his home course with a 6-under-par 66 yesterday even as the celebrated Juvic Pagunsan marked his return to the local tour with a respectable start in the ICTSI Mount Malarayat Classic in Lipa City.

Seeking a follow-up to his playoff breakthrough victory over Miguel Tabuena at ICTSI Summit Point last year, Villacencio got going with a 34 at Mt. Malipunyo then rattled off a bogey-free 32 at the Mt. Lubo side to grab the lead by one stroke over title-hungry Jhonnel Ababa and unheralded Chris Mamaril.

“Sinuwerte lang (Just got lucky),” said Villacencio, who had struggled in the first nine legs of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour where he missed the cut three times and posted only a season-best tie for 11th finish at the Manila Masters.

Pagunsan, suspended in 2013 for unprofessional conduct and allowed to rejoin the circuit by paying a fine of P25,000,  showed a glimpse of his old form with a 71. He had five birdies that nullified a bogey-bogey start and a double bogey on No. 1 at Mt. Lubo.

Ababa, out to end a long dry spell on the tour sponsored by ICTSI, actually matched Villacencio’s two-birdie start and a closing 32 but stumbled with two bogeys against one more birdie for a 67 that tied him with Mamaril, who birdied the last three holes at Mt. Lubo to post a career-best start.

Koreans Lee Seongki and Anthony Kim fired  68s to share fourth place with former leg winner Joenard Rates and unfancied  Rolando Marabe while the big guns, led by Tony Lascuña and Elmer Salvador, stayed within striking distance with 69s.

Other three-under scorers were  Rufino Bayron, Anthony Fernando, Artemio Murakami and veteran Robert Pactolerin.

Jobim Carlos, still opting to play as an amateur despite topping the Q-School early in the year, scored  a 70 in a tie with Rey Pagunsan, Edward Reyes and Korean Woo Seong Bin.

Matching Pagunsan’s 71 were flightmate Mars Pucay, Jay Bayron, Benjie Magada, Miko Alejandro, John Rey Pactolerin, Miguel Ochoa and Efren Robles Jr.