Lascuña unlocks East secret, leads by 1

MANILA, Philippines - Tony Lascuña had the tough Wack Wack East all figured out – hit the right spots.

He did just that yesterday, hitting the target in a nine-hole stretch from No. 3 to produce six birdies before slowing down with a run of pars for a 67 and a one-stroke lead over Elmer Salvador halfway through the P3.5 million ICTSI Tournament Players Championship.

“I had a good run from No. 3. Every approach shot landed to spots where I wanted them, where I knew I could sink a birdie,” said Lascuña. “That’s the key to scoring here at the East, hitting the right spots.”

He actually turned a fumbling start into a scorching finish, bucking a bogey miscue on No. 1 with birdies on Nos. 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 inside six feet then capped his lead-grabbing card with a 40-footer on No. 11, putting him on a familiar place at six-under 138 but against a familiar rival – Salvador.

“Since this is the last leg, I might as well take it,” said Lascuña, who earlier vowed to win it all despite needing just a fourth place finish this week to claim the Order of Merit title of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

Teeing off at the backside of the tough layout, Salvador also knocked down superb approach shots in drizzle that netted him five birdies, including a highlight sidehill, downhill putt from 25 feet, also on No. 11. But the recent Splendido Taal leg winner stumbled with a couple of bogeys and made a 69 but stayed in the hunt for a second crown in the last three legs of the circuit sponsored by ICTSI at 139.

“It’s hard to say,” said Salvador when asked of his chances against Lascuña with the next three of the rest of the surviving 46-player field dropping four strokes off the new leader, including erstwhile pacesetter Fredrick Park of Australia.

With OOM rivals No. 2 Clyde Mondilla and No. 3 Jay Bayron failing to mount their charge and falling way behind with over par rounds, Lascuña moved 36 holes away from winning his fourth OOM title in the last five years.

Mondilla, the three-leg winner, hobbled with a 75 and slid to joint 14th at 147, while two-leg winner Bayron hardly recovered from a disastrous 78 Wednesday with a 73 and barely made the cut at 151 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pacsports, TaylorMade, Sharp, Champion, Ping and Yamaha.

Park, who sneaked into the lead with a late eagle-spiked 69 Wednesday, fumbled at the backside this time, making three bogeys and blowing a one-under frontside score to finish with a 73. The rookie Aussie pro slid to joint third but remained in the hunt at 142.

“I had a great first round. I was hoping to duplicate it but I missed several birdie putts from close range. I’ll try again tomorrow (today),” said Park.