Paez seizes solo Aboitiz lead

NICOLAS Paez of the United States steadied himself in the final six holes yesterday to salvage a two-over-par 74 in the third round and stay on top of the $100,000 Aboitiz Invitational Championship over a Wack Wack East layout that played its toughest all week.

Paez had two of his three birdies in that stretch and rescued a 38-36 card for a 54-hole 211 to lead local favorite Jay Bayron by a stroke as erstwhile co-leader Bryan Snyder ballooned to a 77 to be four shots behind going into today’s final 18 holes.

Bayron, the first day leader, also fired a 74 with three of his four bogeys coming in the back nine, and, like Paez, failed to crack par for the first time in three days.

Antonio Lascuña and Malaysian Gavin Green made bold moves by shooting a 69 and 68, respectively to blow in contention, trailing Paez by just four shots. Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden and Snyder are the others with 215s, with Kokocinski shooting a 71 to keep his title hopes alive.

“I was struggling a bit after eight holes and just told myself to hang in there and minimize my mistakes,” Paez, who played the first eight at two-over and the first 12 at four-over, said.

“I finished fairly strong and that’s what matters,” he added.

Bayron, who finished second by a stroke to American Berry Henson in the 2011 Philippine Open over this age-old layout, was at the lead at the turn after Paez’ cold front nine.

But he dropped two straight shots from No. 10 and then another on the par-4 15th after missing the green to yield the lead back again. The experienced Davao native, though, remains in high spirits.

“I still believe that I have the perfect chance to win,” Bayron, the champion in the inaugural staging of this event at Cebu Country Club in 2011, said in Filipino. “But I have to play solid all around (today, in the final round).”

No other local finished within striking distance of the championship, with Elmer Salvador, the 2012-2013 champion in Cebu, lying eight strokes off after a 73, tied with American Nick Sherwood, who matched par.

Micah Shin was at level 216 like four others after a third straight 72.