Rookie grabs three-shot lead at South Pacific
Jeff Lumbo gutted out a bogeyless five-under-par 67 on a course that befuddled the big guns on Tuesday to take a three-shot lead after the opening round of the P3.5 million ICTSI South Pacific Golf Classic in Davao, where ladies play saw a familiar name atop its leaderboard in Chanelle Avaricio.
The relatively unknown rookie Lumbo solved the greens of the wide-open layout and will head into Wednesday’s second round leading a tournament for just the second time in his career, even as Avaricio rescued a 68 despite two late bogeys to lead Princess Superal and Sarah Ababa by a stroke.
“I didn’t expect to play this well,” Lumbo, who was discovered by ex-pro Gary Sales in Sarangani province, said in Filipino. “Somehow my putting clicked. I went out there just to enjoy the round.”
But lurking behind are some of the best in the circuit, like Jonel Ababa and Reymon Jaraula, who shot 70s, and Apo Golf winner Fidel Concepcion, and two-time champ this year, Keanu Jahns, another stroke back after firing 71s like six others.
Both Ababa and Jaraula rued bad days on the greens for failing to close the gap.
“The greens played super tough,” Ababa, also in Filipino, said as he tried to atone for failing to defend his title in nearby Apo last week.
Concepcion, who broke through as a pro at Apo, was working on a three-under card only to double the par-5 18th.
