Salvador grabs lead in Aboitiz Invt’l golf

Elmer Salvador bucked what he said was “an awful putting day” to assemble a second straight 1-over-par 71 on Thursday, to wrest a one-stroke lead in the $65,000 Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI 2011 at the short but unforgiving Cebu Country Club course.

The former Philippine Open champion, winless for more than 18 months now, had five bogeys against four birdies to pace the United States’ Jonathan Moore by a shot at 142 after the US Open veteran matched the Filipino’s 71.

Arnold Villacencio, the surprise opening-day leader with a 69, skied to an 82 and almost failed to make the halfway cut, pegged at 13-over 153.

The short layout punished the talented field for the second straight day as no one cracked par with Rufino Bayron providing the third 71—the best for the day—to tie Cassius Casas and Antonio Asistio, who had identical 73s, at 144.

“I had an awful putting day,” said Salvador, who won the Open in 2009 and the Mt. Malarayat leg of the ICTSI Tour in February the following year before going cold, in Filipino.

“There were several very short misses for par-putter-length putts that wouldn’t go in. But I guess I am still lucky considering that I am in the lead,” Salvador added.

“But if my putting doesn’t improve (in the last two rounds), then I am in trouble.”

The foreigners started to make their presence felt in the Asian Tour Development event with Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka also firing a 71 to join a five-man pack at 145 that included defending champion Jay Bayron (74).

Completing the group at 145 were Michael Bibat, Anthony Fernando, who carded 72s, and Marvin Dumandan, who added a 75 from an opening 70.

Moore, who was in the 2006 US Open field at Winged Foot when Phil Mickelson bungled a win with that infamous 72nd hole gamble, was working on an even par card before hitting a bad drive on the 18th for his second bogey of the day. Inquirer with reports from Jonas Panerio