Jhonnel Ababa hits his approach shot on No. 1

TARLAC – Title-hungry Jhonnel Ababa went on a birdie spree coming home at the front, shooting a solid five-under 67 and forcing a three-way tie at the helm with fancied Miguel Tabuena and Zanieboy Gialon at the start of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Ababa, who has struggled majority of the season with four missed cuts after 13 legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, looked headed for another so-so campaign with just one birdie at the back where he started. But the former amateur hotshot hit his stride at the turn, birdying Nos. 1, 4 and 5 from close range then holing out with another birdie on the par-5 ninth.

He also came through with a couple of up-and-down pars to preserve a bogey-free round and put himself in early contention for the top P450,000 purse in this penultimate leg of the 15-stage circuit sponsored by Central Azucarera de Tarlac.

Zanieboy Gialon watches his approach shot on No. 11

But while Ababa, who also turned in four top 10 finishes, including a fifth place finish at ICTSI Summit won by Jay Bayron last month, made a surprising start, Tabuena and Gialon dished out a pair of 67s expected of them as the troika posted a two-stroke lead over Keanu Jahns and Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who carded a pair of 69s in ideal condition at the tight par-72 layout.

Gialon, out to atone for his final round meltdown in last week’s ICTSI Open which he led in the second round and later won by Tabuena, bounced back from a bogey on No. 1 with four straight birdies from No. 2 then added two more on Nos. 8 and 11 before slowing with a slew of pars for a 32-35 card.

“My ball striking is quite okay and saved one par,” Gialon, still seeking a follow-up to his rain-shortened ICTSI Royal Northwoods victory last year. “I just have to stay focused in the next three days and hopefully my putting will click.”

Tabuena, meanwhile, sustained his fine form and outplayed Tony Lascuña and Charles Hong in the featured threesome, checking a rollercoaster start with a solid finish of three birdies in the last seven holes to set in motion his drive for a second straight victory with a 33-34 card.

Miguel Tabuena reads the line of his putt on No. 2

The 21-year-old shotmaker mixed three birdies and an eagle with three bogeys in the first 10 holes then birdied Nos. 12, 14 and 16 to match Gialon’s nines and likewise firm up his bid for a first Order of Merit title in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Lascuña, who had hoped for a big start to make up for his career-worst final round 79 at Wack Wack last week, continued to grope for form, hitting just two birdies against a bogey for a 71 for joint 15th with eight others.

Hong, who scored a wire-to-wire victory in the ICTSI Luisita Championship here last May, blew a one-under card with a bogey-bogey-double bogey windup, his 75 dropped him to joint 49th and in danger of missing the cut in the 72-hole championship backed by Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Callaway, Srixon, Mizuno, TaylorMade, Nike Golf, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Rudy Project, Pacsports, Omnisource, Cleveland Golf, KZG, FootJoy, Silicon, Empire and Great Depot.

Ferdie Aunzo rebounded from a 37 start with three birdies at the back to shoot a 70 and join Ramil Bisera, Rico Depilo, Mhark Fernando, Randy Garalde, Korean Lee Hyun Woo, Artemio Murakami, Jun Rates and Japanese top amateur Yuto Katsuragawa at sixth while Lascuña stood four strokes adrift at 71 with Bayron, Miko Alejandro, Jun Bernis, Reymon Jaraula, James Ryan Lam, Rene Menor, American Micah Shin and Clyde Mondilla.

Elmer Salvador, No. 4 in the OOM race, also sputtered with a 73, so did Cassius Casas, who had a 74, and Frankie Minoza, who joined Hong at 75.