Davao's Bayron blows up field with 66, leads by 5

DAVAO'S JAY BAYRON

Dabawenyo Jay Bayron threatened to dominate the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge with
a solid four-under 66, posting a whopping five-stroke lead over Jhonnel Ababa in
the second round of the P1 million event at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in
Sta. Barbara in Iloilo City Thursday.
Crowded by veterans Cassius Casas and Danny Zarate at the top with 67 in the
first round, Bayron played true to form, ramming in five birdies in a 14-hole
stretch that started at the backside of the short par-70 layout. He missed
stretching the lead to six with a missed-green bogey on No. 8.
Still, his 36-hole aggregate of seven-under 133 put him way ahead of the field
with Casas and Zarate failing to match the reigning Order of Merit champion’s
surge and the rest turning in mediocre rounds in another hot, humid day.
“Hindi pa rin sigurado kasi mahirap din ang course at matigas ang green (Still
not sure, the course is tough, especially the greens), said Bayron, who skipped
last week’s ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic to compete on One Asia Tour where he
missed the cut.
He didn’t only make the cut this week but also looked headed for a rout.
Ababa took the challenger’s role at 138 after a 68 as Zarate fumbled with a
two-over 72 and tumbled to joint third at 139 with Gene Bondoc, who had a 68,
Danilo delos Santos, who carded a 70, and Randy Garalde, who made a 71.
Ababa, the former amateur hotshot, birdied three of the last eight holes at the
back to get a crack at the crown but would need nothing less than a spectacular
round to foil Bayron in the 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf
Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by International Container Terminal Services,
Inc.
Casas, on the other hand, struggled on the sleek putting surface all day, making
three three-putt bogeys while flubbing par-putts from as close as four feet to
drop to a share of 14th at 141, eight strokes off Bayron.
Casas hit just two birdies after making four Wednesday that propelled him to a
share of the lead while salvaging a good bogey on the par-4 No. 11 where he
drove out of bounds.
Antonio Asistio II, still searching for the proverbial killer’s instinct after
blowing at least two title bids on a final round meltdown, gunned down six
birdies against four bogeys for a 68 as he tied Jun Bernis, Ruben Sasutil and
Edgar Ababa, who all shot 69s, at 140.
Rookie Carl Santos-Ocampo charged home with a 68, Dante Becierra turned in a 71
and Rufino Bayron made a 72, to join the 140 group.
The event is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab,
BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, Empire Golf & Sports Shop,
PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf,
Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.(pr)