Sumcad, with 3-under 69, ties Carlos

Orlan Sumcad recovered from a horrid second round stint with a threeunder 69 yesterday, banking on a nearimpeccable long game and bucking tough pin placements to force a tie with Jobim Carlos in the P3 million ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters heading to another thriller of a finish at the Villamor Golf Club.

Sumcad, who dropped off a lead share in the first round with an atrocious 76 Thursday, came through with back-to-back birdies from No. 16 to cap a 33-36 card and wrest control at fourunder 212, which Carlos later matched with a closing birdie for a 74.

But Jerson Balasabas and Joenard Rates stayed right behind at 213 despite going over par after a 74 and a 75, respectively, while Nilo Salahog and Gerald Rosales assembled identical 214s after a 70 and 73, respectively, pointing to another wild, wooly finish the way it was in the revival of the fabled event sponsored by ICTSI last year.

Clyde Mondilla came back from four down in the final round and nipped Tony Lascuña, Jhonnel Ababa and American Nicholas Paez to win here last year with a scrambling finish again expected in the last 18 holes of the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“I really had a good read of the greens where the pins were placed on tough spots and that helped me a lot,” said Sumcad, back in the hunt for a breakthrough win in a long pro career. “Also my approach shots were on target the whole day.”

After missing the green on the first hole for bogey, the power-hitting Summit Point pro strung up three straight birdies, including a chip-in from 10 yards on No. 3. He dropped another shot on the fifth but birdied Nos. 7 and 8 from close range to make the turn at 33.