CANLUBANG—Filipino Jobim Carlos and Gregory Foo of Singapore, the top-ranked amateurs of their respective countries, shot three-under-par 69s Friday to remain tied for the lead after two rounds of the 2012 Philippine Amateur Open golf championship.
Carlos opened up with a birdie on his first hole, No. 10, and picked up three more along the way, the last coming on the short par-4 8th as he stayed locked for the lead with Foo at 139 to set the stage for a shootout between the top guns in the last two rounds.
The duo opened a five-shot advantage over the tandem of Jerome Ng of Singapore and former champion Clyde Mondilla, who fired a 71 and 74, respectively, in the blustery winds and stifling heat at Canlubang’s North course here.
Ng, the veteran internationalist who also started in the back nine, picked up four shots on his first five holes only to sputter with a double bogey on the par-3 15th and a missed-green bogey on the 18th.
“I played a lot better today than I did (on Thursday),” Carlos told the Inquirer. “But the winds, and the greens that became too fast because of that, made the course very tough today.”
Foo, the 18-year-old former winner of his country’s national amateur title, also opened up with a birdie and was actually at three-under after making the turn with a 33 before he dropped his first shot on No. 1, his 10th hole, after an errant drive.
He bounced back with a birdie on the second, bogeyed the fourth and nailed a final birdie on the fifth.
After sharing the first-round lead with Carlos and Foo with a 70 on Thursday, Mondilla, signed for a 7 on the relatively easy par-5 14th, which went with five other bogeys against five birdies for a 144 aggregate like Ng in this event presented by Globe Telecom, Pancake House and Airphil Express.
Reigning men’s and boys’ match play champion Rupert Zaragosa atoned for a 79 on Thursday with a day-best 68 that gave him a mathematical chance at the title with a 147 total going into the weekend play of the tournament backed by Tanduay Distillers Inc. as major sponsor and supported by Club Car, Pacsports, Golf Depot, Autohub and Callaway with Acacia Hotel as official hotel and Titleist as official ball.
Miko Alejandro matched par and Korean expatriate Choi Jae-seung assembled a 73 for 145, with JR Gonzales, who formed half of the winning team with Carlos in the recent National Doubles, shooting a 72 for 148 like Gio Gandiongco, who fired a 75.
The cut was pegged at 14-over 158.
Meanwhile, Sarah Ababa wrested the lead in women’s play with a 72 and a 147 total, taking a one-shot lead over Lovelyn Guioguio, who couldn’t handle the winds and the sleek greens and carded a 76.
Dottie Ardina was another two shots off, also after a 76, with Jayvie Agojo firing a 73 to vault into a fourth-place tie with Princess Superal at 151.
The women take a break today with the 19 players who made the cut at 165 returning to the course tomorrow for their final 18 holes.
Amelia Yong, Singapore’s No. 1 lady golfer, was way, way better in the second round, firing a 77 that allowed her to make the cut on the dot. She scored a horrendous 88 on Thursday.
The leading scores (Filipino unless stated):
MEN: 139—G. Foo (Sin) 70-69, J. Carlos 70-69; 144—J. Ng (Sin) 73-71, C. Mondilla 70-74; 145—M. Alejandro 73-72, CJ Seung (Kor) 72-73; 147—R. Zaragosa 79-68; 148—JR Gonzales 76-72, G. Gandiongco 73-75; 149—L. Go 76-73, H. Jung (Kor) 76-73; 150—J. Reyes 76-74; 151—P Cho (Kor) 74-77, L. Lofranco 71-80, A. Mata 73-78, A. Saldana 72-79, AR Ramos 75-76.
WOMEN: 147—S. Ababa 75-72; 148—L. Guioguio 72-76; 150—D. Ardina 74-76; 151—J. Agojo 78-73, P. Superal 75-76; 153—A. Unson 75-78, S. Baraquiel 76-77; 155—A. Fudolin 78-77; 156—C. Legaspi 80-76; 159—VC Yi (Sin) 80-79, J. Vasandani (Mal) 81-78