Casas, Villacencio tie Salvador at the helm in Iloilo

Cassius Casas banged in a 12-foot birdie putt on the ninth to cap a fiery windup for a two-under 68 as he joined a charging Arnold Villacencio and erstwhile leader Elmer Salvador in a crowded leaderboard halfway through the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge in Sta. Barbara in Iloilo on Thursday.

Casas, out to nail his first win on this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour after a couple of near-misses, hit three birdies in the last nine holes at the front, including a chip-in from 20 yards on No. 3 and a tap-in on the next as he put himself in contention for the top P200,000 purse with a three-under 137 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club.