LIPA CITY, Batangas?Danny Zarate put on an amazing show of shotmaking and putting skills as he fired a bogey-free, eagle-aided seven-under 65 to steal the thunder from Marvin Dumandan at the start of the ICTSI Classic at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club here.

Zarate was unruffled by the wind in one of the late afternoon flights, keeping an unblemished round of five birdies and an eagle with gutsy pars in the last three holes for a 32-33 card and a two-stroke lead.

Dumandan, taking off from where he left off in the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour last year, shot a 67, also spiked by an eagle, in the morning flight and appeared headed to claim the first-day honors until the dusky Zarate barged into the clubhouse with that flawless 65.

Dumandan, who eagled the final hole to beat Elmer Salvador by two strokes in the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational in Davao late last year, birdied three of the last seven holes to complete a 33-34 card at the Mt. Lobo and Mt. Malipunyo nines.

Diminutive Joenard Rates came up big with a 68, another eagle-laden round that included three birdies against a bogey as he snatched third place, one shot ahead of Juanito Pagunsan, who also made an eagle-aided 69 in what could be the veteran campaigner?s best start in years.

Vic Santia also emerged the other surprise package in the P1-million, 54-hole championship, the kickoff leg of the 10-leg Philippine Golf Tour put up by International Container Terminal Services Inc., as he turned in a two-under 70 also spiked by an eagle-3 on the reachable no. 9.

While majority of the starting 78-player field struggled on Mt. Malarayat?s undulating putting surface, Dumandan flourished with just 25 putts despite hitting only nine greens in a windy day.

?I think I was just lucky to have made those putts from around 8 to 10 feet,? said Dumandan, who turned 29 last week. ?It is really hard to putt here but one can score with good approach shots.?