Park opens 2-shot PH Jr Am lead

Korean expat Park Min-ung fired an eagle-spiked 5-under-par 67 yesterday to take a two-stroke lead over the fancied Rupert Zaragosa and Kristoffer Arevalo after the opening round of the Philippine Junior Amateur strokeplay championship at Sherwood Hills.

The former champion posted his 3 on the par-5 eighth as he tries to nail another championship on the very same course where he humbled Zaragosa, among others, in 2013.

Zaragosa also eagled No. 8 on the way to a 69 like Arevalo, the former 13-14 champion in the Callaway Junior World series who is still looking to break through in a big local event.

Harmie Constantino fired a 70 to build an imposing five-shot lead over four players, including Korea’s Koh Eun-a in girl’s play.

“I putted pretty well today,” said Park,whose lone blemish in the round came on No. 2, a long par-3 where he missed the green and failed to rescue par from about six feet.

Aidric Chan and Wei Wei Gao carded 72s to stay in the mix in the boy’s division with Ryan Monsalve shooting a 74. Musong R. Castillo