V’cencio upstages stellar field, leads by 1

CEBU – Unheralded Arnold Villacencio sneaked in a one-under 69 in challenging condition at the Cebu Country Club, moving past a slew of favorites and snatching a two-stroke lead over Marvin Dumandan at the start of the $65,000 Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI 2011 here, Wednesday.
Villacencio, who also led in the ICTSI Eastridge leg of the local circuit last May but faded and settled for joint third, holed out with back-to-back birdies from No. 8, spiking a sterling frontside stint for the day’s lone under-par card at the par-70 course, whose tight fairways and tough greens bedeviled the games of the starting 102-player field in this leg of the Asian Development Tour.
“The key here actually is driving. But it’s still too early to tell (my chances) although it’s a good start,” said Villacencio in Filipino.
The Davao native appeared headed for a bleak one with early bogeys on Nos. 11 and 13 but he came through with birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 inside five feet, dropped another shot on the 18th before holing out with a four-footer and a tap-in birdie for a 33-36 round.
Dumandan, out to end a long title drought after annexing three leg victories on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour last year, also leaned on a frontside rally of 33 to salvage an even par 70 as the rest either struggled with wayward shots to the greens or simply groped for form on the unpredictable putting surface.
“I hit just three greens so I guess I would have turned in a better score if I had hit more,” said Dumandan, another Davaoeno and one of the fancied bets in the 72-hole championship sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and presented by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
Jay Bayron took off from where he left last year and threatened to blow away the field in his title retention bid with a three-under 32. But he stumbled with five bogeys at the back, marred by three straight from No. 13, and needed to birdie the par-4 17th to save a round of 71.
He forged a four-way tie for third with fellow Davaoenos Cassius Casas, Edgar Ababa and Elmer Salvador, the pro-am winner last Tuesday, who turned in a one-under par at front but hobbled with two bogeys coming home.
“I’m satisfied with my performance although I didn’t play that well,” said Salvador in Filipino. “You need to have good iron shots and steady putting to do good here because the greens are really hard.”
Thailand’s Tony Mansuwan and American Jonathan Moore emerged the best placed foreigners in the fold, carding identical 72s for a share of seventh with local bets Randy Garalde, Antonio Asistio II and teener Miguel Tabuena, who is coming off a joint 14th place finish in Taiwan Championship last week.
birdied two of the first six holes at the front but dropped four strokes in the next five, including a wet double-bogey on the par-4 11th, and finished with a 72.
“If you get the wrong distance here, you have to hit it right so you can put enough spin on the ball,” said Tabuena, who was even par after nine holes but dumped his shot in the hazard on No. 11 for a double-bogey.
Australian Matt Docking made a 73 to join a big group of three-over scorers, who included Anthony Fernando, Albin Engino, Michael Bibat, Paulo San Gabriel, Raul Minoza, Rufino Bayron Jhonnel Ababa and Tony Lascuna.
Taiwanese Chiang Chen-chih, winner of the ADT‘s Transcend Open last May, hit two birdies but had two three-bogey strings in a punishing day, including from No. 7 that marred his windup at the front. He ended up with a 74. Some of the big guns sputtered in the early going of the 72-hole championship on a course that requires accuracy with Artemio Murakami hobbling with three bogeys after nine holes and limping with a 76.
Taiwanese Kao Shang Hung, winner of last week’s Ballantine's Taiwan Championship of the Asian Development Tour, suddenly withdrew from the tournament, apparently in disgust of a horrible a nine-over 44 score at the back.
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)