DAVAO CITY — It wasn’t just an ordinary feat by Lloyd Go when he made a pivotal move on moving day Thursday at the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship.
He likewise took a major step towards fulfilling a breakthrough win.
A flurry of birdies in the first three holes catapulted Go to an imposing lead, setting the tone for what would be a remarkable round for the rising Cebuano star, who showcased his prowess with a stellar 65, virtually sealing the outcome of the P2 million tournament at the Rancho Palos Verdes course.
Go led Nilo Salahog, Sean Ramos and Angelo Que by eight shots.
“The course is scoreable if you find the fairways, and that’s most important thing for me here,” said Go, whose impressive 14-under 202 created a considerable gap between him and his closest pursuers heading into the final 18 holes of the second leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour sponsored by ICTSI.
Earlier, Salahog sizzled with a course-record matching eight-under 64, highlighted by an eagle, but not even his solid round could propel him closer to Go, who also spiked his seven-under card with an eagle and four more birdies against two bogeys.
Salahog, who tied Jay Bayron’s feat in 2006, settled for joint second at 210 with Ramos, who hit three birdies in the last seven holes to save a 70, and Que, who gained strokes on Nos. 16 and 17 to rescue a 71.
Ira Alido survived a roller-coaster round and finished with a 72 as he slipped to fifth at 211 followed by Keanu Jahns (71-212), Reymon Jaraula (72-213), Michael Bibat (73-214), and Guido van der Valk (71-215).
With a huge lead, Go maintains a cautious approach to his chances for the top P350,000 purse in the 72-hole championship while acknowledging the presence of pressure in the final round.
However, he remained committed to his game plan of consistency off the tee.
“I don’t have any specific target score, just taking it hole-by-hole. If I execute a good tee shot, I can be aggressive with my approach shots, but if not, I’ll focus on saving pars,” said Go, describing his strategy.
A highlight of his round was his eagle on the par-5 No. 8, where he split the fairway with his drive and followed up with a superb 9-iron shot from 150 yards to 20 feet off the cup, draining the putt.
Despite a missed green bogey on the next, he birdied the 10th, conceded another shot on the 11th but birdied Nos. 15 and 17 to maintain a significant lead over the stellar field.
After distancing himself from first-round co-leader Ramos and wresting a two-stroke lead over Alido and Que at the halfway mark, Go displayed not only his shotmaking abilities but also his precision with irons and exceptional putting skills.
“So far, it’s been pretty good, including my putting. Hopefully, everything goes well tomorrow (Friday),” said the former national team standout, inching closer to ending a six-year quest for a breakthrough in the professional ranks.
