Tony Lascuna and Elmer Salvador kept the top spots on the leaderboard as they scored identical 71s in the second round of the Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI at the Cebu Country Club in Banilad yesterday.
Lascuna started with two straight birdies but failed to keep the momentum going as he made just two more birdie putts against four bogeys that gave him a two-day total of two-under 140, the same as Salvador’s score and just two up on the two-time defending champion Jay Bayron, who jumped back into the fray with a second straight even-par 71.
Australians Scott Barr and Unho Park, who shared the lead with Lascuna and Salvador after Wednesday’s first round, fell back under pressure with the former getting four bogeys in the last five holes for a three-over 74.
He slid to joint fourth with Jerson Balasabas and Ebarra Quiachon at 143.
After an eagle-spiked 69 start, Park skided to a double-bogey-riddled 77 as he tumbled from joint first to a share of 13th with a total of 146, six strokes off the joint leaders.
Salvador, meanwhile, had a chance to pull away from the pack as he took advantage of an early tee time to start with a 34. But he missed his shot when he dropped three strokes on the par 5 No. 2, considered a birdie-hole for the elite field. He closed out with a 37 for a 71.
Bayron, who beat Marvin Dumandan by five here last year and winner of the ADT Challenge in Jakarta last month, recovered from a shaky backside start of 37 with a 34 as he turned in another 71 and remained in the hunt for a third straight title with a 142.
Balasabas, who blew a superb 32 opening at the front Wednesday and hobbled home with a 73, rebounded with an impressive 33 at the back yesterday only to waver with two bogeys coming home for a 70 and a joint fourth place.