Nilo Salahog waxed hot when a slew of big guns grappled in sweltering conditions, coming away with a five-under 67 to wrest a one-stroke lead over Justin Quiban in a crowded start to the ICTSI South Pacific Classic on Monday, Sept. 11.

Among the early starters in a steamy day, Salahog anchored his bid on a solid backside start of 32 highlighted by a pitch-in birdie on the par-4 17th of the South Pacific Golf & Leisure Estates then holed out with a birdie on the ninth to find himself the befuddled leader in a power-packed field in the P2 million championship.

“I actually missed at least four birdie chances from pin-length high,” said Salahog, who tied for 17th on a tight course in last week’s Del Monte Championship but flourished on a long but open layout here.

“The fairways here are fairly wide so the big hitters have the edge. And even if you missed your drives, they don’t pose big problems,” added Salahog in Filipino. “But the greens are really tough and it’s too hot.”

But he still stood out when majority struggled on the undulating greens that vary in character and speed, leading to missed birdie opportunities – and three-putt miscues to some.

Two aces out to make up for their shaky final round stints at Del Monte, however, posted low rounds to get into the mix as Quiban shot a 68 for solo second and Jhonnel Ababa carded a 69 for joint third with three others.

Quiban, who tied for the lead in the Del Monte stretch but slipped with a bogey on the 17th, three-putted the par-5 closing hole and ended up third, mounted his charge with a frontside 33 and birdied Nos. 11 and 13 to gain a shared view of the top.

But the Asian Tour campaigner, who also vied in a PGA Tour event in 2021, yielded a shot on No. 14 and ran out with four pars for a 33-35.

“This course is kind of wide but driving isn’t that important but hitting more greens. It’s hard to read putts but luckily I was in better spots for me to sink a lot of them (putts),” said Quiiban, who birdied Nos. 2, 7, 8, 11 and 13 to tie Salahog in the lead in the early going of the 72-hole championship backed by Kampfortis Golf, the official apparel of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Like the rest, Quiban shared the heat slowed down his charge in the closing holes, saying: “Towards the last few holes, I was getting tired and I just couldn’t press the gas and I can’t make any birdies anymore.”

Ababa trailed Salahog with a backside 35 in the first flight that included Enrico Gallardo and Elmer Saban but birdied Nos. 2 and 6 to put himself on track for redemption after likewise fading in the last 18 holes and winding up fifth at Del Monte where he reigned in 2019.

Dino Villanueva, meanwhile, birdied three of the last six holes at the back, Marvin Dumandan gunned down three birdies in an eight-hole stretch from No. 7, and Keanu Jahns holed out with back-to-back birdies from No. 17 for their versions of three-under cards that tied them with Ababa.

“Sobrang init kaya dito resistensya ang kailangan, saka yung green, mahirap, magulo,” said Ababa, who banked on his superb short game but rued a couple of birdie chances inside 7 feet.

For his part, the comebacking Jahns leaned on his wedge game to be in the hunt.

“I hit really nice 90-100-yard shots close to the pin. My putting was okay but I need to work on managing the short holes,” said Jahns, who bogeyed two of the four par-3s.

Rupert Zaragosa, the runaway winner in Iloilo, mixed four birdies against two bogeys for a 70 while defending champion Tony Lascuña broke a quiet par-game at the front with two birdies against a bogey in the last nine holes to lead the 71 scorers, four strokes off the pace.

They include Asian Games-bound Ira Alido, Ferdie Aunzo, Jay Bayron, Francis Morilla and Japanese Gen Nagai, while three-peat seeking Clyde Mondilla missed joining them at eighth with a bogey on No. 17 for a three-birdie, three-bogey card and a 72.

Other even-par scorers were Elee Bisera, Albin Engino, Valley leg winner and last week’s runner-up Reymon Jaraula, Mars Pucay, Sean Ramos, Gerald Rosales and Elmer Salvador.

The other pre-tournament favorites wilted in the heat and shaky putting, including reigning back-to-back The Country Club Invitational champion Guido van der Valk, who eagled No. 12 and birdied Nos. 11 and 16 but made a double bogey and three bogeys, the last on No. 17 that marred his 73, and multi-titled Angelo Que, who double bogeyed No. 16 for a 74.