2018 ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge: Aussie grabs lead with 66 as Jahns stumbles
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Tim Stewart looks for a way out from under the trees on No. 18
Back in the circuit after finishing fourth at PGT Asia Southwoods last June, Stewart leaned on his hot putter to produce seven birdies that negated a double-bogey and bogey on Nos. 3 and 13, respectively. But the 33-year-old winner of the recent Tahiti Open had to watch Jahns waver in the last two holes at the front to snatch the lead in the early going of the 72-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI.
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With his long game complementing with his superb putting, Tim Stewart finds himself at the helm in his PGT return.
Jahns came away with two pitch-in eagle feats on par-4 holes, the first spiking his big opening charge on No. 11 and the other on No. 6 that put him on top of the 71-player starting field at five-under. But the Fil-German shotmaker, one of the rising young guns in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., three-putted No. 8 and missed the last green, enabling Stewart to seize control.
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Keanu Jahns’ solid wedge shots produce two eagles but shaky putting knocks him off the lead
He settled for a 67 and dropped to joint second with PGT Asia Forest Hills leg winner Jhonnel Ababa, Elmer Salvador and Dutch Guido Van der Valk, while Jay Bayron, Clyde Mondilla, Erwin Arcillas, Dino Villanueva and Ramil Bisera turned in identical 68s to make it a crowded leaderboard in the third of four tournaments making up the Visayan swing of this year’s tour.
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Keanu Jahns’ solid wedge shots produce two eagles but shaky putting knocks him off the lead
“The course is not as easy as it looks, given the unpredictable greens,” said Salvador, winner of Tuesday’s pro-am tournament of the event backed by BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT.
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PGT Asia Forest Hills leg winner Jhonnel Ababa on target for another crown
Kim, who became the tour’s youngest winner at 16 when he edged Carlos by one at Pueblo De Oro last month, held an even par card with three holes left at the front. But he dropped three strokes on the par-4 seventh and needed to birdie the last to save a 72, six strokes adrift.
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A pro-am tournament win boosts Elmer Salvador’s bid to snap a long title spell
But while some of the big guns found the tight, hazard-laden layout not to their liking, others survived the challenge and salvaged par 70s to stay in early contention, including Richnell Albano, Marvin Dumandan, Charles Hong, Rolando Marabe Jr., Robert Pactolerin, Bacolod stop winner Justin Quiban, Paul Vesinica, Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia and American Lexus Keoninh and amateur Jason Zaragosa.
But the day belonged to Stewart, who set his title drive in motion with three birdies against a bogey then sandwiched a double-bogey on No. 3, where he hit his approach shot out of bounds, with birdies before hitting two more birdies in the last four to surge ahead.