TARLAC, Philippines — Unable to match the course record or grab the outright lead with a late mishap Tuesday, Jay Bayron used a scorching start yesterday to storm ahead early and stayed in control the rest of the day as Clyde Mondilla sizzled, faded then sparkled again halfway through the ICTSI Luisita Invitational here yesterday.
Exploiting the switch in tee times and nines, Bayron pounded the Luisita Golf and Country Club’s backside with a brilliant five-birdie binge inside 10 feet from No. 11 on his way to a six-under 66 for a 13-under 131 and a two-stroke lead over Mondilla, who failed to sustain a birdie-eagle feat from No. 11 but birdied two of the last five to save a 69 for a 133.
“I’ve been playing great overall in near-perfect condition – my iron shots are solid and my putting is right on target,” said Bayron, who fired a 65 despite a late start Tuesday to trail Mondilla by one. He took advantage of his early second round start and flashed superb putting then added two more at the front to offset his lone bogey on the par-4 No. 4 where he failed to clear the bunker and missed a six-footer.
Mondilla, awesome with his bogey-free, record-setting 64 early Tuesday, actually sustained his first round charge with a birdie-eagle start from No. 11 in one of the late tee-offs. But he stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 17 and 3 and needed to birdie Nos. 5 and 9 to salvage three-under card with the wind whipping up a bit late in the day.
“I’ve struggled a bit off the tee but overall, my game is okay. Just didn’t get the most out of it,” said Mondilla, who racked up four victories last year but remained winless this season due to poor form. He birdied the 11th from close range then hacked a solid 6-iron second shot from 200 yards to within nine feet for eagle on the next.
Despite his fightback, Mondilla slipped to second at 133 while flightmate Peter Stojanovski, who matched Bayron’s opening 65, kept the Filipino aces within sight with his own version of a three-under card for a 134.