TARLAC – Jack Sullivan kept Australia on track for a second Philippine Golf Tour Asia crown in row, sizzling early at the back then bucking a fumbling frontside finish to shoot a 67 and wrest a provisional one-stroke lead as Elmer Salvador struggled despite an early start halfway through the CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open here yesterday.
Five behind the hot-starting Salvador at the start of the round, Sullivan birdied four of the first seven holes, hit two more on Nos. 3 and 5 before losing his momentum with a bogey on the sixth that marred an otherwise solid 35-32 round.
But he took the clubhouse lead just the same, pooling a seven-under 137, one ahead of Salvador, who scorched the Luisita layout with seven birdies for a 65 in a late start Tuesday but uncharacteristically stumbled in an early tee-off, making three bogeys against two birdies for a 73. He dropped to second at 138 with half of the starting 105-player field still battling it out in hot condition at presstime.
The top 50 players plus ties will advance to the final 36 holes of the $100,000 event serving as the sixth leg of the region’s newest circuit sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Sullivan, out to make up for his missed cut stint in his last PGTA stint at Southwoods last June, is trying to score a follow up to compatriot Damien Jordan’s victory in Aboitiz Invitational at Orchard last month.
But he will have his hands full in the last two days with a slew of others ready to pounce on the chance on a course that punishes a slight mistake and rewards precision off the tee.
Thai Nirun Sae-ueng matched Sullivan’s four-birdie splurge at the back and the Aussie leader’s two-birdie, one-bogey closing stint for a 67 and a share of second with Salvador while James Ryan Lam blew a hot four-under card after six holes, also at back, with two bogeys against one more birdie for 69 for joint fifth at 139 with Peter Stojanovski.
The Macedonian, trying to ride the momentum of his joint runner-up finish to Clyde Mondilla in last week’s ICTSI Luistia Invitational, rallied with two birdies in the last five holes at the front to card a 70 in the event backed by ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.
