Bayron, Salvador pace ICTSI leg by two

Trece Martires, Cavite – Jay Bayron and Elmer Salvador fired identical four-under par 68s for a two-stroke lead over former RP Open champion Robert Pactolerin and three others at the start of the ICTSI Sherwood Classic at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martirez City, Cavite yesterday.

Bayron, coming off a third place finish in last week’s International Championship of the Mercedes Tour in Indonesia, showed up fancied reigning Philippine Open champion Angelo Que and veteran Rey Pagunsan in one of the early morning flights, knocking down a couple of pitch-in birdies that highlighted his six-birdie effort in a 35-33 round.

“I’ve been playing well lately but I still need to toughen up especially in the last day,” said Bayron, the former amateur standout who placed fourth in the recent ICTSI Valley Challenge topped by younger brother and top amateur Rufino Bayron.

Salvador, who blew a four-shot lead at Valley in the final round and finished third, birdied the four par-5 holes in impressive fashions, including a bold 3-wood shot on the tough No. 12 where he went for the green for a tap-in birdie.

“I played well today,” said Salvador, who like Bayron took advantage of the ideal playing condition in the morning flight.

Pactolerin flashed vintage form and shot a 70 to tie reigning national champion Ferdie Aunzo, Jonard Rates and Sherwood Hills golf director Jong Laput while a stroke farther back at one-under 71 were Marvin Dumandan and Richard Sinfuego.

Que, who opted to take time out from the Asian Tour to play in the second leg of a three-stage circuit put by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. this year, struggled for form all day and carded a two-over par 74, falling six shots off the joint leaders in the 54-hole tournament he was tipped to rule.

The event, backed by Srixon, Callaway, Maruman, Gatorade, MJ Carr Golf Management Inc., Inquirer Golf, Golf Digest, Golf Punk, Motorola, Samsung and Maya Ads and promoted by World Sport Group, serves as the revival of the Philippine Golf Tour with a bigger, richer circuit being lined up by long-time golf patron ICTSI for next year.

Rates, son of former touring pro Joe, led his team also made up of Felix and Joanne Cortez and Jong Arcano to victory in the pro-am appetizer of the tourney on Tuesday. They pooled together a 15-under-par 57.