Michael Bibat hits his approach shot on No. 13

DAVAO – Michael Bibat stayed in control despite a late double-bogey mishap and a pair of eagle-spiked rounds from his closest pursuers, shooting a five-under 67 in wet conditions and clinging to a one-stroke lead over a charging Miguel Tabuena halfway through the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic here yesterday.

Bibat fought back with a pitch-in birdie off the 16th fringe to cushion the impact of his double-bogey on No. 15 where he drove out of bounds as he saved a 33-34 for a 13-under 131 at Rancho Palos Verdes, moving him 36 holes away from nailing his second career win in the very same tournament he ruled in 2013.

“It’s still a long way to go and anything can still happen,” said Bibat, who led the siege of the Rancho Palos Verdes layout with a bogey-free 64 Wednesday. “But the good thing is I’m in the thick of things.”

Miguel Tabuena watches the flight of his ball on No. 3

Tabuena, for one, pressed his bid for a second win after dominating the ICTSI Splendido leg with a second straight 66 capped by an eagle on the par-5 No. 8 for a 132 while Elmer Salvador also bolstered his drive for back-to-back wins by matching Bibat’s opening 64, spiked by an eagle on the par-5 15th for a 133.

But Ferdie Aunzo, just one shot behind Bibat at the start of the second round of the P1.5 million champion organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., slowed down with a 71 and fell farther back at 136 while Clyde Mondilla stood a shot farther back at 137 after a 68.

Tony Lascuña, still in the hunt for the elusive first win this year, failed to sustain a hot start of three birdies in the first four holes at the back, missing a couple of birdie chances and trading two birdies against the same number of bogeys for a 69 and a 139.

Other five-under par scorers were Korean Gyuha Park, who also shot a 68, and Zanieboy Gialon, who carded a 70, while the long-hitting Orlan Sumcad turned in a 71 for a 140 and Japanese Yuta Sudo rallied with a 69 for a 141.

Sustaining his solid eight-birdie splurge in the opener of the P1.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI, Bibat rattled four birdies at the front then hit four more in the last nine holes for a 33-34 card. He stumbled with his first bogey after 26 holes on No. 9 and dropped two strokes on the par-5 15th on an errant drive and a lip-out from five feet.

Tabuena came out of a 30-minute rain delay with back-to-back pars then birdied No. 7 before splitting the 8th fairway and hacking a solid 7-iron second shot to within a putter’s length for eagle and another six-under card for a crack for a second leg victory in the circuit sponsored by ICTSI.

Elmer Salvador reacts after flubbing a birdie putt on No.16

Salvador, recalling the fierce form that propelled him to a second straight ICTSI Riviera romp last week, scorched the backside with four straight birdies then gunned down an eagle on the par-5 No. 15 before burying another birdie on the 17th for a 29.

He actually went nine-under with two more birdies on Nos. 1 and 4 but lost his rhythm and touch and bogeyed the next two holes before recovering with his eighth birdie on the last par-5 on No. 8 to save a 35 for that 64.

The Davaoeño ace stood in the lead at 11-under in a long stretch until Bibat came in one of the late afternoon flights with that 67 to re-take the lead at 13-under.

Other backers of the event, the eighth leg of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, are Nike Golf, Srixon, Callaway, Empire Golf, TaylorMade, Custom Clubmakers.