Zaragosa gains a stroke on Saldaña

CANLUBANG, Laguna—Andres Saldaña drained four birdies Wednesday and settled for a two-under-par 70 to allow Rupert Zaragosa to close the gap to three shots after 36 holes of the 19th WExpress-DHL RVF Amateur Golf championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation.

The 19-year-old left-hander, who will make the jump to the pros next month in the ICTSI Tour, had two bogeys in a 35-35 card for a six-under 138 aggregate over the tree-lined Canlubang North layout here as the chase for the title shaped up to be a two-man race with Zaragosa.

Zaragosa, who held the men’s and boys’ national championships simultaneously two years ago, submitted a 69 to make up a shot on Saldaña, and his 141 is four shots clear of the third-running Magno Arancon of Del Monte, who fired a 71.

The ladies’ side of the event forming part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour also started Wednesday with the multi-titled Pauleen Del Rosario firing a 70 to open up a six-shot cushion on Daniela Gonzales.

Saldaña, whose last amateur event will be with Alabang in the Philippine Airlines Interclub set in two courses in Bacolod next week, missed the 11th green and then three-putted the fifth for his two bogeys for the day.

Still, he played well enough to stay on top and maintain his shot at winning for the first time since a triumph in the Faldo Series at Eastridge last May.

“The course is playing pretty tough,” Saldaña said after breaking par for the second straight day, the first time he has done that in months after struggling with his game.

Justin Quiban fired a 70 and was at 147 like reigning world 13-14 champion Kristoffer Arevalo, who struggled in the second round to post a 147 in the event also backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports.