COOL UNDER PRESSURE: Zaragosa sizzles with 67, wrests ICTSI Pueblo lead

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Under the punishing heat and amid a dizzying shuffle atop the leaderboard, Rupert Zaragosa kept his composure, closed with a flourish and surged into a share of the lead with Russel Bautista halfway lead in the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship here on Tuesday.

Zaragosa produced a scorching five-under 67, putting together a solid round highlighted by timely birdies and a strong finish to erase the gap and catch Bautista at the helm at eight-under 136. While the pressure intensified and the lead changed hands several times at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club, Zaragosa remained steady, capitalizing on his opportunities to position himself for a serious title bid heading into the next two rounds.

Bautista, meanwhile, appeared poised to preserve his solo lead after another gutsy round but saw his advantage slip away with a costly bogey on the 18th. The late miscue left him with a 69 and forced him to settle for a share of the halfway lead, setting the stage for a compelling battle as the championship enters its decisive stretch.

While the scorching conditions tested the players’ stamina and concentration, Zaragosa stayed focused, making three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine to cap another steady round on the demanding 6,974-yard layout.

“I had a solid round, especially with my driving and putting. I also hit a lot of good second shots, which gave me plenty of birdie opportunities,” said Zaragosa in Filipino, who made up for his lack of distance with smart course management and precise execution.

Knowing the course could be a long challenge for him, Zaragosa stuck to a simple game plan.

“I know the course is a bit long for me, so my strategy is to make pars on the long holes and create birdie opportunities on the shorter ones,” he said.

His only blemish was a three-putt bogey on No. 16, which interrupted an early charge highlighted by three birdies in his first six holes at the back. But Zaragosa quickly regained momentum on the front side, birdying Nos. 3, 6 and 8 to tie Bautista.

He fell short of his bid for a hat-trick in Negros Occidental last month, but his latest performance put him in familiar territory, with a cluster of proven winners still within striking distance.

Bautista, meanwhile, appeared poised to stay on top at nine-under heading into the final hole. He had kept pace with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, then held firm with pars on the next two holes before his late miscue proved costly.

Bautista missed the 18th green and failed to convert a 10-foot par putt.

The setback was a reminder of his painful near-miss at South Pacific last year, when he lost to Jeffren Lumbo in a grueling five-hole playoff after having a clear opportunity to claim his breakthrough victory.

“My driving was good today, but I missed some second shots and failed to save par,” said Bautista in Filipino.

Despite the stumble, he remained encouraged by his iron play, which helped him set up seven birdie putts from inside seven feet. With two rounds left, he was determined to maintain that form.

“I know I’m up against a lot of tournament winners, but I’m confident in my game. I just hope my driving, iron play and putting remain sharp over the last two days,” he said.

Keanu Jahns also stayed in contention, carding a second straight 69 to join Clyde Mondilla, who shot a 70, at three-under 138, three shots off the pace. Consistency could prove decisive on a course where even a comfortable lead can quickly disappear.

Lumbo, meanwhile, made four birdies but lost ground with a triple-bogey 8 on the par-five 17th. His 71 left him alone in fifth at 139.

Jelbert Gamolo endured another roller-coaster round, turning in an impressive 33 on the back nine before two bogeys on the final nine holes left him with a 71 and a 140 total for sixth place.

Amateur Ralph Batican continued to hold his own against the Philippine Golf Tour’s leading pros, shooting a gutsy 71 to share seventh place at 141 with Zanieboy Gialon, who also carded a one-under-par round.

Ira Alido charged back with a 69 to tie Elee Bisera (71) and Marvin Dumandan (72) at 143 with 36 holes still to play and plenty of time for the standings to change.

The demanding Pueblo de Oro layout has repeatedly shown how quickly fortunes can turn, particularly when the heat compounds the challenge and a couple of errant shots can erase several strokes of advantage.

Several of the Tour’s established stars remained well off the pace. Two-leg winner Angelo Que carded a 71 for a 145 total, the same aggregate as Reymon Jaraula, who shot 76. Jhonnel Ababa stood at 148 after a 73, while Tony Lascuña was at 149 following a 75.

With two rounds remaining, Zaragosa caught Bautista at the top but the chasing pack remained close enough to keep the title race wide open.

Forty-four players made the cut at 153, including Batican’s fellow amateurs Marc Lu (76-152) and Jacob Rolida (78-153). Hall of Famer Frankie Miñoza, meanwhile, bounced back with a 73 to finish at 151, earning a share of 36th place.