Ramos-Macalaguim duo sets Nat’l Doubles pace with 61

Southeast Asian games veteran Sean Ramos and Gabby Macalaguim used a strong start to wrest control then banked on a stronger finish to compile a seven-under 61 and go one up on Lanz Uy and Ryan Monsalve at the start of the National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club on Friday.

Ramos and Macalaguim dished out top form coming off the holiday break, birdieing five of the first 10 holes then recovering from mishaps on Nos. 11 and 13 with birdies in the last four to hold off an equally hot-starting Uy-Monsalve tandem under the four-ball format of the National Golf Association of the Philippines’ closing event for 2019.

Uy and Monsalve actually sizzled with five birdies after 12 holes but fumbled with a bogey on the par-3 16th, needing to birdie the last two to shoot a 62 and hound the Ramos-Macalaguim pair heading into Saturday’s second round, where play shifts to aggregate format.

While the other fancied pairs struggled in best-ball play, Aries Mata and Lawrence Celestino struck back from a front-side even-par game with five birdies against a bogey at the back of the 36-32 military layout, shooting a 64 for third. Reigning Indonesian Amateur Open champion Luis Castro and Andres Lorenzo also rallied with a 29 to get into the title mix with a 65.

Four other teams also churned out three-under cards, including Santino Diokno-Miguel Roque, Jonar Austria-Marco Olives, Gab Manotoc-Carlo Quimson, and Jed Dy-Mikha Fortuna, ensuring a spirited battle for top honors in the three-day event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and held as part of the PLDT National Amateur Golf Tour.