Golfers toy with Mt. Malarayat's tricky course

Lipa City, Batangas — Golfers competing in the ICTSI-Mount Malarayat Championship tamed Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club’s tricky three nine-hole courses at the start of the $50,000 Mercedes-Benz Tour event. Thailand's Chawalit Plaphol shot the day’s best seven-under-par 65 with Filipino Antonio Lascuna just a stroke behind at six-under-par 66 to lead the way early in the MB Tour’s fifth leg. Two-time Asian Tour champ Chawalit slammed home a string of four birdies from the sixth to ninth then added four in the last eight coming home that sandwiched a lone bogey at the 10th. The ever-consistent Lascuna is also making a good run at the title, literally toying around the tough condition of the composite courses with a sizzling bogey-free round. Winless so far halfway through the year, Lascuna launched an-all out attack with his pin placements to hack out what he describes as a "very professional shot-making." And he is hoping to produce more of this for three more days. "Definitely, this is one of the best golf games I've ever had. Nothing more can be better than this," said Lascuna, who shared second place with Thai Attaphon Prathummanee. Sitting at fourth was another Thai, Namchok Tantipokakul at four-under 68. Last year's victor Elmer Salvador, current MB Tour Order of Merit leader Jay Bayron, Mars Pucay and unheralded Jett Plete were in joint sixth with three-under 69s. John Kier Abdon, meanwhile, led the way in the amateur side with a two-under 70. – JVP, Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV