Jolo Magcalayo slowed down with a 71 but still padded his lead to seven while Sofia Chabon blew a two-shot lead with a wobbly finish to remain tied at the helm with Junia Gabasa halfway through the W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf’s North course in Laguna yesterday.
Imposing with a bogey-free 65 in the first round, Magcalayo sustained his hot run with two birdies at the back where they teed off but stumbled with his first two bogeys on Nos. 1 and 3 before birdying the seventh to save a 37-34 for a 36-hole total of eight-under 136.
That was seven shots ahead of elder brother Jonas, who fell by nine at the turn but struck back with a closing 35 start for a 72 and a 143.
Young Sean Ramos rebounded from a woeful 75 with the day’s best 69 as he seized solo third at 144, eight strokes off Jolo, while Paqo Barro carded a 70 for a 145 and Carl Corpus turned in a 71 for joint fifth at 146 with Elee Bisera, who matched par 72.
Rupert Zaragosa hardly bounced back from a 76 with a 73 for a 149, 13 strokes off the leader heading to the last 36 holes of the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and held in honor of the late NGAP president and golf patron Rod V. Feliciano.
Tied with Gabasa and Eagle Ace Superal after 18 holes, Chabon broke from a three-way tie with a birdie on the ninth and went two-up with another birdie on No. 16. But the top The Country Club bet bogeyed the last two holes for a 72, enabling the Cebu-based Gabasa, who also matched par, to regain a share of the lead at 147.
Superal slipped to third with a 73 but remained in the thick of things with a 148 while Sofia Legaspi also threatened within three at 150 after firing the lone under par card of 70 in the distaff side of the annual event held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour and backed Cignal, Metro Pacific and Cangolf.
Rafaela Singson and Rianne Malixi remained tied at 151 after identical 75s while Bernice Olivarez-Ilas also carded a 75 for a 153, six strokes adrift.
Meanwhile, action in the 36-hole Special Division today with Mikhaela Constantino, Sophia Abarcas, Jody Castillo and Precious Zaragosa and Koreans Jeong Yeah Eu and Kwon Min Seo clashing for the girls crown and Joshua de Guzman, Shinichi Suzuki, Dylan Castillo, Zach Villaroman and Kim Tae Won of South Korea leading the title chase in the boys’ division of the event serving as part of NGAP’s grassroots programs featuring players from Del Monte and Apo Golf.”‹