Fiery start keys Gialon surge to 4-shot lead

MANILA, Philippines - Zanieboy Gialon sizzled with a three-birdie binge start and went on to fire a five-under 67 and storm to a four-stroke clubhouse lead over an equally surging Miguel Tabuena in the rain-suspended second round of the P3.5 million ICTSI Open Championship at Wack Wack’s East layout in Mandaluyong City.

Threat of lightning in driving rains forced the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. to suspend play at 4:30 p.m., leaving nine flights stranded, including one that featured Cassius Casas, who had a four-under card with three holes to play for a running one-over total.

But whatever the outcome of the completion of the round early today, Gialon is safely ahead of the pack at 139, four ahead of Tabuena, who rallied with a 69 for a 143, with erstwhile leader Tony Lascuña dropping to third with a one-over card for an even-par total after 15 holes.

Foiled in his bid the first time out, Gialon sustained his solid start this time as he regained his putting touch, adding three more birdies, including back-to-back from No. 13, to negate a lone bogey mishap on the 11th and seize control of the elite field.

“I also had six birdies in the first round but struggled with my putting. It’s a good thing that my stroke clicked today (yesterday),” said Gialon, who also birdied the first two holes at the back in the first round but faltered with four bogeys and a double-bogey against four more birdies and missed joining Tony Lascuña at the helm Wednesday.

But his second round 67 showed the brilliance in the young Davaoeño shotmaker who is out to score a follow-up to his last victory in the storm-hit ICTSI Royal Northwoods at this same time last year.

While majority of the stellar field continued to struggle on the long, tight layout, Gialon made it look a little bit easier to score low with solid shotmaking, superb recovery shots and steady putting.

“I would say that I was just able to put the ball on good spots off the tee. And in the three times that I missed the fairway, I made good recovery shots and putted well,” added Gialon, who headed straight to the range to polish his driving and iron game.

But the 26-year-old shotmaker will be as much tested as the rest of the field in this P3.5 million championship sponsored by International Container Terminal Services Inc. as he slugs it out with Tabuena and Lascuña in the last group in a key third round duel today.

Tabuena, a two-leg winner who skipped Tuesday’s pro-am due to a minor accident at home, put himself in contention with a strong frontside windup that saw him birdie Nos. 2, 5 and 9 for a 69 and into solo second.

He stood four strokes off Gialon, a big deficit that could however be wiped out through a couple of solid shots by the pursuers or mishits by the frontrunner over a course that continued to bedevil the games of the elite field with its tightness and unpredictable putting surface.

Lascuña, who shot the lone under-par card (71) in harsh condition in Day One, slowed down with a one-over 73, slipping to third at 144 and joining Gialon and Tabuena in the featured final threesome today.

Dutch Guido Van der Valk bogeyed two of the last seven holes and carded a 73 for solo fourth at 145 while Cassius Casas, evoking memories of his 2001 triumph here, bounced back from an atrocious opening 77 with that four-under card.

Angelo Que, who also won the Phl Open here in 2008 and the other two-leg winner this year outside of Lascuña and Tabuena, birdied his final hole on No. 9 to salvage a second straight 73 for a 146.

Elmer Salvador shot a 71 for 147, Charles Hong and Joenard Rates dropped to joint eighth at 148 after a 76 and 75, respectively, while Rufino Bayron and Orlan Sumcad put in another pair of 75s for joint 10th at 149 with 36 holes left in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Nike Golf, PacSports, Callaway, Srixon, KZG, Sharp and Foot Joy.