Dasmarinas, Cavite—Angelo Que stumbled and recovered coming off a first weather delay and took the clubhouse lead over Aussie Damien Jordan and Zanieboy Gialon when play was stopped the second time around due to heavy rain halfway through the $100,000 Aboitiz Invitational at the Orchard’s Palmer course here yesterday.
The long-hitting, late-starting Japan PGA Tour campaigner extended his birdie-binge in his solid first round 65 with back-to-back feats from No. 2 to draw level with Jordan and Gialon, who had wrapped up their respective morning rounds with 70 and 71, respectively, before play was stopped due to lightning threat.
Que actually stumbled with his first bogey in 23 holes on No. 5 at resumption of play but quickly got his game going again, hitting three straight birdies from No. 6 from short range to move ahead by three. But two bogeys at the back in tough condition slowed down his charge though he hit another birdie on No. 15 to go three-under for the day before play was suspended due to heavy rain and darkness.
“The strong rain affected my game on No. 13, otherwise it was pretty okay,” said Que, who had a provisional 10-under overall card with three holes to play, moving him 39 holes away from nailing his first Aboitiz crown after two runner-up finishes in 2013 and last year. “I’ll try to finish this tomorrow morning (today) and let’s see what would be my strategy given the wet condition.”
All stranded flights will finish their respective rounds at 6:30 a.m. today with the third round set right after the last flight will have completed play.
Gialon, meanwhile, tied Jordan at 135 with Ira Alido posting a one-under card and eight-under overall with three holes to play. Thai Namchok Tantipokhaul, on the other hand, shot a 69 for a 136.
Jobim Carlos and Tony Lascuña had identical three-under cards after 15 holes for seven-under total while Korean Kim Dae Won also went three-under and six-under overall with three holes to play.
Canadian Lee Sang and Aussie Tim Stewart were tied at 138 after a 70 and 68, respectively in the 72-hole championship serving as the fifth leg of the second season of the PGT Asia put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Staying in the hunt with completed rounds were Jay Bayron, the other two-time Aboitiz champion who shot a 69 for a 139 in a tie with Thai Wisut Artjanawat (72), Jun Bernis (69), Michael Bibat (67), Keanu Jahns (69) and Korean Kim Joo Hyung (71).
Gialon, impressive with his eagle-aided 65 Wednesday, hobbled with two bogeys in the first five holes but rebounded with four birdies in a nine-hole stretch from No. 6 to save a two-under card.
Jordan, who bettered Que’s bogey-free opening seven-under round with his lead-grabbing eagle-spiked 64, sustained his charge in a scorching backside start of three birdies in the first six holes. But he missed the par-3 16th and made his first bogey then dropped another stroke on No. 7 while missing a couple of birdie chances to settle for a 71.
Though most of the pre-tournament favorites are on their way to the last 36 holes of 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., some failed to make their move, including reigning PGT Order of Merit winner Clyde Mondilla (73-142), Thai Pasavee Lertvilai (70-143), PGTA leg and recent PGT Bacolod winner Justin Quiban (72-143), two-time Aboitiz champion Elmer Salvador (70-143), last week’s Club Filipino de Cebu titlist and PGTA Forest Hills leg winner Jhonnel Ababa (74-144).