Aussie grabs lead with 66

BACOLOD — Tim Stewart of Australia marked his return to the Philippine Golf Tour in smashing fashion, shooting a four-under 66 then pouncing on fellow big-hitting Keanu Jahns’ late-hole miscues to wrest a one-stroke lead at the start of the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge at the par-70 Iloilo Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.

Stewart leaned on his hot putter to produce seven birdies that negated a double-bogey and bogey on Nos. 3 and 13, respectively.

But he had to watch Jahns waver in the last two holes at the front to snatch the lead in the early going of the 72-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI.

Jahns came away with two pitch-in eagle feats on par-4 holes, the first spiking his big opening charge on No. 11 and the other on No. 6 that put him on top of the 71-player starting field at five-under.

But the Fil-German shotmaker three-putted No. 8 and missed the last green, enabling Stewart to seize control.