BACOLOD – Nilo Salahog, who could not seem to get past the cutoff line the last two months, now got past the top guns and took the coveted spot on top, wresting a one-stroke lead over Justin Quiban with a five-under 65 in the opener of the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Three birdies at his closing nine at the front capped an impressive start for a journeyman who had missed the cut in the first three tournaments of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour Asia and failed to advance at PGT’s Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro stops last month.

But the 32-year-old shotmaker from nearby Victorias found the Binitin course to his liking, his week-long training at the par-70 layout paying off – at least in the opener that saw him hit back-to-back birdies from No. 12 and negate a missed-green bogey on No. 16 with another birdie from close range on the next.

He actually found no need to use his driver on a hot, windy day at the tight, tree-lined layout, missing just two fairways and going out of regulation three times, saving all but one.

Despite his 33 start, Salahog, who limped at joint 43rd in the recent PGTA Forest Hills leg and finished tied for 10th at PGT Apo leg, stood in the middle of the stellar field but stormed ahead with his solid frontside windup as Quiban fell off the leaderboard with a last-hole bogey and settled for a 66.

“I just stayed focused on every hole. I didn’t go for aggressive play and kept my pre-game plan (fairway-green) while making the most of my birdie chances,” said Salahog, whose career best finish was fourth at PGT Forest Hills last year.

Jay Bayron, the PGTA winner at Southwoods, birdied the par-3 No. 18 to fire a 67 and lead the three-under scorers who included two other lesser lights – Johvanie Abaño and Paul Echavez – and the comebacking Clyde Mondilla.

The reigning PGT Order of Merit champion, whose game went on a downswing after emerging the top player in last year’s circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., finally turned in a kind of round expected from a player of his caliber – a bogey-free 34-33 card.

Echavez actually matched Salahog’s five-under card with a birdie on No. 5 coming home but bogeyed two of the last four while Abaño shot four birdies against a bogey to put himself in early contention in the P2.5 million event backed by BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT.

Tony Lascuña, winner here in 2016, recovered from a bogey start with three birdies in the last 10 holes, joining Rolando Marabe Jr., Gerald Rosales and Reymon Jaraula at seven, just three strokes off the pace.

“Got a bad start but was able to recover and made some clutch pars at the back,” said Lascuña, winless in over a year now.

The Filipinos dominated the first day action with Dutch Guido Van der Valk, winner of the PGT kickoff leg at Eagle Ridge last March, shooting a 69 and emerging as the best-placed foreign player at joint 11th. Lexus Keoninh of the US, fumbled with three bogeys against two birdies for a 71, the same output put in by Korean Park Jun Sung, who gunned down four birdies but made three bogeys and one double bogey.

Other one-under scorers were Elmer Saban, Zanieboy Gialon, Arnold Villacencio, Francis Morilla, Michael Bibat, Albin Engino, Charles Hong and Anthony Fernando while fancied Jobim Carlos, the hottest player on the tour with two victories and two runner-up finishes in the last two months, turning in a roller-coaster round of five birdies against the same number of bogeys for an even 70.

Matching Carlos’ output are Ira Alido, Rufino Bayron, Alex Cuello, Rico Depilo, Keanu Jahns, Jet Mathay, Teodoro Osabel and Orlan Sumcad while Jhonnel Ababa, one of the pre-tournament favorites, rebounded from a bogey-bogey start at the back with back birdies from No. 12, went one-under with another birdie on No. 2 but bogeyed two of the last seven and slipped to joint 29th with 71, six shots off Salahog.