DAVAO CITY – Nilo Salahog held sway in the face of fiery assaults from a band of pursuers then hit a clutch birdie to save a 68 yesterday and re-join Justin Quiban at the helm midway through the ICTSI South Pacific Classic heading to a wild finish here.
Salahog, who showed up the Tour’s big guns with a superb 67 in stifling conditions Tuesday, kept his mastery of the South Pacific course and the stellar field with a four-birdie run in the first 12 holes then rebounded from a miscue on No. 13 that momentarily dropped him off the lead with a birdie on the 17th as he tied an equally red-hot Quiban at the helm at nine-under 135.
Quiban put in a solid 67 after a 68 in his steady pursuit of a second Philippine Golf Tour victory following a third place finish at Del Monte last week ruined by a last-hole slip and he liked with the way he’d been churning out low rounds coming off a series of stints abroad.
But a host of others likewise jostled for position in anticipation of a heated third round battle of power and hits with Marvin Dumandan seizing solo third at 137 after shooting an eagle-aided 68 and Iloilo leg runaway winner Rupert Zaragosa also bouncing back with a four-under card for a 138.
Tony Lascuña, who beat Ira Alido by three here to cap a three-victory run in 2019 before the pandemic, also wheeled back into contention with his own version of a 68 for a 139 while fellow Davaoeño Elee Bisera also shot a four-under card to move to solo sixth at 140.
FORTUNA GAINS
SHARE OF LEAD
Meantime, Mikha Fortuna battled Yvon Bisera shot-for-shot and putt-for-putt in a furious frontside duel then came out of a bungling backside skirmish a bit steadier to rescue a 71 and force a tie after 36 holes in the distaff side.
Fortuna matched the local ace’s three-birdie splurge in the first nine holes and remained a shot behind but charged back from two-down after a bogey on No. 10 to equal Bisera’s 143 aggregate as the latter holed out with a bogey on the long par-5 18th to end up with a 72.
That set the stage for a final 18-hole shootout for the top P125,000 with one-time winner Sarah Ababa laying three shots farther back at 146 after a second 73 at the South Pacific Golf & Leisure Estates.
Also in the running are Korean Seoyun Kim and Apple Fudolin, who carded 73 and 74, respectively, to share fourth place at 148 even as Daniella Uy’s bid for a third straight championship gained a slight boost after a 71. But she’s 6 shots off co-leaders.
