Zaragosa-De Claro up by two

Rupert Zaragosa and JP De Claro assembled a 1-under-par 71 in alternate shot play yesterday to wrest a two-stroke lead going into the final day of the NGAP’s National Doubles Championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation at Eastridge.

The fancied tandem drained two birdies against a bogey on another difficult day for a 36-hole 148 tally over the obscure pair of Ricar Candinato and Ariel Villasencio going into the aggregate play of the event that forms part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour.

Candinato-Villasencio, the leader after the four-ball with a 76 on Tuesday, dropped two shots in the first four holes but fought back to post a 74 even as Luis Castro and GJ Katigbak fired a 70 to take third at 154.

Jude Eustaquio and Migs Garcia, who started the day just four shots off, ballooned to a 79 for 15. Jed Dy and Ryan Monsalve also slipped down the leaderboard after a 73 for 155.

Jing Romero and Martin Guiang all but put the Group II title in the bag after assembling a 75 that boosted them to an 11-stroke lead over Paqo and Aldo Barrro, who shot an 83.

Francis Sabio-Lindsey Lahug submitted a 90 and stood 25 shots adrift while the pair of Korean expats Hwang Min-jeong and Seong Eun-jeong shot a 70 to stay nine shots ahead of Koh Eun-ah and Song Min-jong, who shot 73.

Meanwhile, the organizing NGAP yesterday said the Philippine Amateur championship will be played on Jan. 9 next year with at least four foreign delegations confirming participation.

Entries from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are coming to challenge LJ Go in the men’s division.