Arevalo lifts Orchard to 5-point lead in PAL golf

CEBU CITY—With just his first round in the Philippine Airlines Interclub, Kristofer Arevalo showed what all the hype on him was about.

The former junior world champion fired a two-under 70 worth 38 points in trying conditions Wednesday to boost Orchard to a five-point lead over darkhorse Wack Wack after the first 18 holes of the 68th edition of the country’s unofficial golf team championship here.

Conquering the tree-lined Cebu Country Club, the 15-year-old Arevalo mixed three birdies with a bogey and rued many missed chances coming home where he had birdie putts inside 12 feet in all but one of his closing nine holes.

Orchard, which broke through last year in Bacolod, counted the 32s of Raymund Sangil and JP De Claro and the 27 of Ace Stehmeier for an opening 130 as Eric Borromeo was disqualified for signing the wrong scorecard.

“I am feeling very confident because I am playing so well,” said Arevalo, whose membership at the club was a gift from mother Jinky after he won in San Diego in 2013. “I will ask that I play again in the last day (at Cebu CC).”

Arevalo failed to read the breaks in the final nine greens after losing trust in his caddy, who gave him wrong breaks in the first nine.

Second and third round action will be held at the up-and-down Club Filipino de Cebu layout in Danao.

Sammy Sy shot 33, Elphege Wong 31 and Gary Uy and Tommy Manotoc turned in identical 30s for Wack Wack for 124 even as Manila Southwoods submitted a 120 built around the 32s of national pool member Justin Quiban and Ryu Ken Yasuma to trail by just nine.

The scores:

Championship—Orchard 129, WackWack 124, Manila Southwoods 120, Del Monte 119, Cebu 111, Camp Evangelista 107, Forest Hills 103, Royal Northwoods 96, Fil-Am Fairfield 87, Veterans 74, Camp Aguinaldo 61, Figme 43

Founders—Villamor 121, Tagaytay Highlands 120, Club Filipino de Cebu 119, Alabang 118 Valley Golf 116, Negros 112, Davao 110, Eagle Ridge 109, Apo Golf 108, Manila Golf 107, Alta Vista 106, Riviera 104, Rancho Palos Verdes 104, Iloilo 97, Lumbia 94, Iligan Golf 91, Pueblo de Oro 87, Zamboanga 85

Sportswriters—Fil Am Hawaii 100, Mactan Island 93, Victorias Golf 88, PGA British Columbia 88, Bay Area 88, SFO Maharlika 86, Stanford 82, UP Tee  Jots 82, Sta Elena 82,  Guinhalaran 81, Green Tee Riyadh 81, South  Cotabato 79, Cotabato 78, Sherwood Hills 77, Lanang 75, Philippine Navy 73, Pearl Kai Hawaii 72, San Juanico 70, Seattle 66, Greenhills West 64, Bacolod 64, Team Leyte 52, Figme UAE 51, Northgate 40

Friendship—Figme Dubai 83, Van City Golf 79, Brotherhood Sharp 79, Mabuhay Golf Club San Francisco 69, MSU 68, Skywest 64, Pittsburg Fil Am 62,  Austral Asian Golf Melbourne 57, Baguio 50, Yokohama Eagles 50