MANILA, Philippines - Ferdie Aunzo took a step closer to becoming the first double-leg winner on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, surging ahead of the field with a one-under 70 for a one stroke lead over Gene Bondoc and four others in the second round of the ICTSI-Forest Hills Championship at the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club in Antipolo yesterday.
Aunzo, who ruled the recent ICTSI-Royal Northwoods Classic, punctuated his rollercoaster round with back-to-back birdies from No. 16 for a 36-34 card. That lifted the rookie pro from joint eighth to the top of the field with a 144 heading into the final 18 holes of the P1 million championship.
But five players stood just a shot behind at 145 while three others pooled identical 146s and three more were at 147, ensuring a shootout in the final round of the 54-hole championship, the eighth leg of a 10-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
Hogging the spotlight was ace jungolfer Miguel Tabuena, who overcame a double-bogey on No. 2 with three birdies against two bogeys as he salvaged an impressive 72 for a 147 and remained the best-placed amateur after 36 holes. He was in joint 10th with Ramil Bisera and Cookie La’O, who both had 74s.
Bondoc, who showed up the field with lone under par card of 70 in the first round, also had an up-and-down round on the rolling layout, making five bogeys and a triple-bogey seven on the par-4 12th and two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th for a four-over 75 and a 145.
Joining him in second are Marvin Dumandan and Michael Bibat, who both fired the day’s best scores of 69, Erwin Vinluan, who had a 72, and Jay Bayron, who carded a 73.
Four behind Bondoc at the start of the round, Aunzo failed to gain ground with two bogeys and a double-bogey against three birdies after nine holes. But that solid finish enabled the former top amateur to take charge and fuel his bid for a back-to-back title romp in the P10 million circuit.
Elmer Salvador, winner at Sherwood, and Danny Zarate, who topped the kickoff leg at Mt. Malarayat, and veteran campaigner Robert Pactolerin turned in 71, 72 and 74, respectively, to stay in the hunt for the top P200,000 purse with 146s in the event backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Pisanti, Srixon, FAMI, Business Mirror, Motorola, Omnisource, Nike Golf, Tiger Gatorade and Pepsico,
Dumandan buried four birdies in a fiery backside stint as he wound up with a 32 for a three-under par 69 and wheeled back into contention after an opening 76 at the tough par-71 layout.
That put the ICTSI-Eagle Ridge Invitational winner back in the hunt for a second title.
Bibat, the former national team mainstay and bronze medalist in the Doha Asian Games in 2006, also took advantage of benign condition in the morning flight, matching Dumandan’s sizzling windup with a 33 for the day’s other 69.
Vinluan bogeyed No. 18 and settled for a one-over 72.