Corpus stays seven ahead despite week-worst 75

Carl Corpus scrambles well enough in the back nine to stay in command. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Carl Jano Corpus slumped to his worst score in three days, but a four-over-par 75 on Thursday still kept him seven strokes ahead of Filipino-American Jaden Dumdumaya going into the final round of the National Stroke Play Championship at the Langer course of Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite.

The 21-year-old Corpus slipped with two double-bogeys and a bogey in the first six holes but was able to steady the ship coming home as Dumdumaya chopped just three strokes off a huge 10-stroke deficit after shooting a 72.

Corpus built that big edge on Wednesday after his version of a 68 that seemed improbable given the tough conditions in the second round as he takes a 215 tally into the final round on Friday.

Aidric Chan was 10 shots off after a 76, while Enrique Dimayuga, the second highly-touted Fil-foreign teen in the field, rebounded from a second round 82 with a 73 to be another two shots off.

Dumdumaya, the 16-year-old who took the first round lead with a 71 only to balloon to a 79 the next day, again took scoring honors for the second time in three rounds with an effort highlighted by birdies on the 16th and 17th.

Junia Gabasa also kept a firm grip on the women’s division lead with a second straight 71, leading fellow Cebuana Lois Kaye Go by seven after 54 holes for 216. Go also carded her best score so far of 71-223.

Defending champion Mafy Singson’s 76 put the bet from Davao in solo third at 225, one shot ahead of Samantha Dizon, who had a 73.

Elee Bisera, Kristoffer Arevalo and Jacob Rolida, the trio that made up the Philippine team that finished 11th in the Nomura Cup last year, all bombed out of contention after losing ground in the third round.

Bisera fired a 77 to be 18 shots behind, with Arevalo, the defending champ, followed up a second round 82 with an 81 for 240. Rolida was another shot back after a 75.