Fancied Park Jung-soo and junior standout Charles Hong carded one-over-par 73s to share a two-stroke lead in the championship division at the start of the Samsung Amateur Golf Open Wednesday at the challenging Eastridge Golf Club course in Binangonan, Rizal.
Park, a Korean expatriate, torched the front nine with four birdies for a 32 but slowed down with a 41, while Hong also had a solid start but settled for 35-38.
Ariel Villasensio was third with a 75 that kept him in the running for the 36-hole tournament’s top award.
Rading Decepida scored the day’s lone sub-par round of 71 from the blue tees and surged ahead by four strokes over GJ Katigbak in men’s Class A.
Jeric Ang, Carlos Packing and Randy Cabangon were the other men’s division leaders in the event backed by Glucos Care, A Round of Golf, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, International Armouring Corp. and BCLN Golf. Minor sponsors are Dynamic Sports and Leisure, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, ABW Leaves of Life, CranUTI and Gargol.
In the ladies category, Matet Salivio, Jonah Ilagan and Sheryll Crystal took the top spot in their respective divisions.
Salivio fired a 74 for a two-shot edge over Arianne Salvador in Class A; Ilagan, daughter of Cainta Mayor Mon, led Salivio’s sister Mabel by 2 after an 82 in Class B and Crystal’s 91 put her far ahead of Vilma Catapult (117) in Class C.