Tabuena wrests control; Malixi sets ladies pace

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Miguel Tabuena zooms to the lead with late birdies. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Miguel Tabuena shook off another wobbly start on Wednesday, gunning down all four of his birdies in his last 13 holes to rescue a one-under-par 71 and wrest the lead after 36 holes of the P2 million ICTSI Luisita Championship in Tarlac.

The diminutive newly-wed continued to play with some rust owing to very limited tournament exposure the last two years, but got it together when he needed to under sweltering heat over the majestic Robert Trent Jones-created gem to take a 140 aggregate into the third round.

Michael Bibat, who took the first round lead with a flawless 68 on Tuesday, had a roller-coaster round this time with his 73 made up of five birdies, four bogeys and a wet double bogey 5 on No. 6 for 141, tied with Nilo Salahog, who carded a 70.

The accompanying P750,000 Ladies Championship also has a new leader after 14-year-old amateur Rianne Malixi fired a 71 for a one-shot lead over Princess Superal heading into their final round on Thursday.

Malixi bogeyed the two par-5s coming out for 142 overall, as Superal returned a 73 to trail by two, with Chanelle Avaricio, the first round leader, ballooning to a 76 to now be four adrift.