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Canlubang—Rufino “Baibai” Bayron fortified his
championship bid with a modest even-par 72 but it was
Tonlits Asistio who made the biggest charge with a 68 to
jump to second place after the penultimate round
Thursday of the 13th DHL-WWWExpress National Amateur
Golf Championships at the Canlubang Golf and Country
Club.
Bayron,
ICTSI golf team’s newest recruit, threatened to pull
away when he buried three consecutive birdies from No. 4
and avoided a bogey in the first nine holes. However,
all the gains he made in the morning went for naught as
he dropped three shots going back.
“Ang
ganda ng simula, natapos ng masama,” was all Bayron
could say after his round.
DESPITE
padding his lead, Rufino “Baibai” Bayron is unsatisfied
with his round.
With
earlier rounds of 69 and 70, that 72 gave Bayron a total
of five-under 211 in the 72-hole men’s competition. He
led Asistio and Mario Labajo by five with one round left
in the tournament organized by DHL and WWWExpress in
partnership with the National Golf Association of the
Philippines.
“Gusto
ko talagang dagdagan ang lamang ko para hindi na
masyadong pressured bukas. Ang kaso, bad
putting na naman today. Kailangang pukpok ako
agad sa final round para makaabante ng husto,”
Bayron, 26, told the BusinessMirror.
Asistio,
also a member of the ICTSI team, sizzled with the day’s
best 68 that was highlighted by an eagle at the 494-yard
No. 14 of Cangolf’s North course designed by Robert
Trent Jones Jr. He also registered three birdies and
only two bogeys. His 216 tied him at second place with
Labajo.
“Everything worked for me today. Hopefully, I could
continue to score well and catch up with Bayron,” said
Asistio, a member of the national team in the Putra Cup
at The Country Club last November.
Labajo
turned in an even-par 72 on a punishing day because of
the strong winds in the afternoon. In fact, only three
of the 65 players who made the cut scored below par.
Former
joint second placers Anthony Fernando and Jessie
Balasabas slid to a tie for fourth with 217s.
After an
even 36 at the turn, Fernando suffered the most with a
bogey on the 12th and a triple bogey on the next hole.
Not even a birdie on No. 14 could save his rollercoaster
round because he came home with a bogey on the 18th for
a 76.
Balasabas, too, appeared lost at times, as he matched
Fernando’s 76.
“Nawala
ang concentration,” said an unhappy Fernando, who
went directly to the driving range after a light lunch.
“Hahabol
ako bukas. Kaya pa naman,” Balasabas said.
Southeast Asian Games campaigner Mark Fernando also
tumbled with a 76 and was at solo sixth with 218, while
Joey Huerva carded a one-under 71 and was a shot back at
218 for solo seventh spot.
Joseph
Labajo (70), Jhonel Ababa (74), Peter Villaber (79) and
Malaysian M. Arie Fauzi (75) were locked at eighth with
223 each. Paul Echavez (72-224) and Gene Bondoc
(75-225) occupied the next two slots. Erwin Vinluan
(72), Malaysian Nicholas Fung (74) and Korean Kim Dae
Kwon (75) were bunched at 14th with 227s.
Jung Hwa
Lee of
Korea
churned in a 72 for 146 to wrest the lead from
Indonesian Lydia Ivana Jay in the 54-hole ladies
contest.
Jaya was
tied with reigning RP Ladies Amateur Open champ Chihiro
Ikeda and Anya Tanpinco at second place with 150. Sarah
Jane Ababa and Sunshine Baraquiel were tied for fifth
with 151s.
Charming and vibrant, J-Ro in relax mode
CANLUBANG—More than a week after bagging the Women’s
World Cup of Golf crown with US-based Dorothy Delasin,
Jennifer Rosales looked vibrant and fresh and smiled all
day when she visited her coach, Bong Lopez, and the rest
of the ICTSI team members competing in the 13th
DHL-WWWExpress National Amateur Championships Thursday.
“I’m
taking my time off and relaxing a bit. But while in
Manila, I’ll still be practising with coach Bong [Lopez]
and prepare myself for the upcoming Ladies Professional
Golf Association (LPGA) season,” said Rosales while
reading a BusinessMirror Golf article about her and
Delasin’s exploits in the World Cup in Sun City, South
Africa.
When
asked about her charming aura, Rosales explained that
she is still enjoying her World Cup victory.
“It
really feels great to represent the country in any
international event. And winning it [World Cup] made it
sweeter,” she said.
The
29-year-old, who received about $120,000, or half of the
prize money she shared with Delasin, is hoping to ride
the momentum of her success because she intends to play
in at least 29 of the 34 LPGA tournaments this year.
“Prior
to the World Cup, the last time I won was back in 2005. Sana
magtuluy-tuloy na,” Rosales added. |
