Ababa, 2 others share CAT lead
TARLAC — Title-hungry Jhonnel Ababa went on a birdie spree coming home at the front, shooting a solid fiveunder 67 and forcing a three-way tie at the helm with fancied Miguel Tabuena and Zanieboy Gialon at the start of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT) Open at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.
Ababa, who has struggled majority of the season with four missed cuts after 13 legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, looked headed for another so-so campaign with just one birdie at the back where he started.
But the former amateur hotshot hit his stride at the turn, birdying Nos. 1, 4 and 5 from close range then holing out with another birdie on the par-5 ninth.
He also came through with a couple of up-and-down pars to preserve a bogey-free round and put himself in early contention for the top R450,000 purse in this penultimate leg of the 15-stage circuit sponsored by Central Azucarera de Tarlac.
But while Ababa, who also turned in four top 10 finishes, including a fifth place finish at ICTSI Summit won by Jay Bayron last month, made a surprising start, Tabuena and Gialon dished out a pair of 67s expected of them as the troika posted a two-stroke lead over Keanu Jahns and Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who carded a pair of 69s in ideal condition at the tight par-72 layout.
Gialon, out to atone for his final round meltdown in last week’s ICTSI Open which he led in the second round and later won by Tabuena, bounced back from a bogey on No. 1 with four straight birdies from No. 2 then added two more on Nos. 8 and 11 before slowing with a slew of pars for a 32-35 card.
“My ball striking is quite okay and saved one par,” Gialon, still seeking a follow-up to his rain-shortened ICTSI Royal Northwoods victory last year. “I just have to stay focused in the next three days and hopefully my putting will click.”
Tabuena, meanwhile, sustained his fine form and outplayed Tony Lascuña and Charles Hong in the featured threesome, checking a rollercoaster start with a solid finish of three birdies in the last seven holes to set in motion his drive for a second straight victory with a 33-34 card.