Lascuña holds provisional lead as rain halts play

LAUREL, BATANGAS—Heavy midday rains forced suspension of second round play in the ICTSI Splendido Taal Championship on Wednesday, but not after Antonio Lascuña engineered a shakeup in the leaderboard to grab the provisional lead with still six holes left in his round.

Finally getting his groove after failing to turn in practice rounds the past two weeks, the 53-year-old Lascuña left the rain-soaked layout after signing for a bogey 5 on No. 3, his 12th hole, and a six-under aggregate with second round play to resume at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and the third round to follow.

Lascuña rued making that bogey, because he had the option to mark his ball—which laid two grips from the hole. But he chose to putt under driving rain and missed.

“That was a big mistake,” Lascuña told the Inquirer in Filipino. “I could have ended the day with a two-shot lead. I hope I don’t regret that decision later in the week.”

LJ Go was a shot behind after going four-under also in 12 holes, tying Keanu Jahns and Japan’s Daiya Suzuki, who were able to finish and returned a three-under-par 69 and a 72, in that order.

“I was just making the most of the opportunities that I got,” Lascuña added. “There’s the need to resume strong (Thursday) and play the third round steadily, because fatigue will come into play later in the third round.”

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Aidric Chan was two strokes off after playing 12 holes at level, with South Korea’s Min Seong-kim, who had a piece of the first round lead, working on a one-over card after 15 holes to be two shots off like countryman Tae Soo-kim, who submitted a 72.

Clyde Mondilla, who opened with a 67 on Tuesday to share the lead, was also at one-over for the day with six to play, while Angelo Que returned a 72 to also be two behind. Rupert Zaragosa was the hottest player on the course when play was halted, his five-under card after 12 holes putting him in Que’s group.

Florence Bisera was at one-under after nine holes when ladies division play was also called. The Davao native, who opened with a 74 on Tuesday, is now two-up on Korean Ji Won-lee, who was at two-over after her first nine.