Zaragosa wrests 4-shot lead with 67

MANILA, Philippines—Rupert Zaragosa flashed an aggressive game in shooting a five-under-par 67 Thursday to move four shots ahead of faltering halfway leader Brian Kim going into the final round of the 20th WWWExpress DHL RVF Amateur Golf Championship.

The pint-sized 17-year-old carded nines of 33-34 over the heavily wooded Canlubang North layout where he drained birdie putts of a long as 20 feet for a 54-hole 206 aggregate.

Kim, who led the defending champion Zaragosa by a stroke after each of the first two rounds, returned a 72 with countryman Park Min-ung, the former Philippine Junior champion, also carding a 72 for 212.

Zaragosa, who rallied to win this tournament in the final round to pip lefty Andres Saldana last year, has not dropped a shot in the last 36 holes.

“My putting has been clicking the whole week,” said Zaragosa, who has six national titles under his belt.

“I am no good today (in the third round),” said Kim, a 27-year-old who requested that his American name be used instead. Kim shot nine birdies in shooting a 68 on Wednesday.

Korea’s Choi Ve-rim fired a 71 and saw a five-shot overnight lead reduce to just three by Bianca Pagdanganan, who shot a 69.

Choi, who opened up with seven birdies in a 67 also on Wednesday, now has a 138 total, well within target of a first major title. She is playing this tournament for the first time.

Annika Cedo, the big-hitting 16-year-old from Southwoods, fired a 72 for 146, keeping a mathematical chance of a breakthrough win.

Cedo caught Felicia Medalla after the bet from Wack Wack submitted a 74. Musong R. Castillo