Lascuna and Bibat take first day of Mercedes-Benz Masters

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 07/23/2008 8:56 PM  |  Sports

Filipino Anthony Lascuna stormed home with birdies in the final three holes to take the first-round lead in the Mercedes-Benz Masters Malaysia on Wednesday with a five-under-par 67 along with his younger compatriot Michael Bibat.

"I have been playing well this year and last season and it just so happens that a couple of the good results have come here in Malaysia. It would be nice to win here again though," Lascuna
said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

The 37-year-old Lascuna is fast building a fine record on Malaysian soil. He won the Selangor Masters last year on the local Malaysian circuit and was second in the Johor Open on the Asian Tour.

He put himself on course for another finish this week by firing six birdies and dropping just one shot on the Bunga Raya Course at Saujana Golf and Country Club, near Kuala Lumpur.

This week's tournament is the fourth leg on the 10-event Mercedes-Benz Tour.

Lascuna finished joint fourth and fifth in the opening two legs so is due a victory.

"I would like to capitalize on my form and pick up one of the trophies on Tour this season. I only have the first round lead right now though. There is a lot of golf left," said the man who has claimed 18 titles on the domestic tour in the Philippines.

Michael Bibat, a rookie professional who won the bronze medal in the 2006 Asian Games and claimed the Singapore Amateur in 2004, got off to a sensational start.

He birdied the fourth and fifth, eagled the par five sixth and then birdied the next hole to go five under after seven. However, he was unable to maintain that pace and bogeyed the ninth and made one birdie on the home stretch.

Thailand's Wisut Artjanawat, already a winner this year on the Mercedes-Benz Tour, shot a 68 while Shaaban Hussein and Periasamy Gunasegaran finished a stroke further back leading the Malaysian challenge.

Wisut is the player of the moment having won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines in May and being runner-up at the following event.

"I am feeling very comfortable and relaxed on the course at the moment. There's no pressure and everything is working well," Wisut said.

Wisut is ranked fourth on the Tour's Order of Merit which is led by Filipino Angelo Que, who is not playing this week.

Filipino Mars Pucay, in second place on the Merit list, shot a 73 while third placed Danny Chia, Malaysia's top golfer, shot a disappointing 77, but he is still recovering from jet lag having competed in last week's British Open.(**)

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.