Ababa, Hong just a shot off Sarawak lead

KUCHING, Malaysia—Jonel Ababa fired a 2-under-par 70 and moved into contention along with Charles Hong, just a stroke off the lead, after the third round of the PGM Sarawak Masters Saturday.

Ababa, who had earlier rounds of  75-71, posted a 54-hole total of  216 along with Hong, the second-round leader who skied to a 76, and Malaysia’s Akhmal Tarmizee, who carded a second straight 73 at the Sarawak Golf Club.

The three trailed Singapore’s Choo Tze Huang, who settled for a two-over-par 74  after taking a bogey and a double bogey in his last three holes for a 215 aggregate.

An exciting finish is expected in the RM180,000 (approximately $60,000 or P2.6 million) Asian Development Tour event with four players just two shots behind at 217 and another quartet at 218.

Ababa gunned down four birdies against two bogeys to join the title hunt with Hong, who stayed close to the lead thanks to strong previous rounds of 71-69.

“I hit it good on the front nine. I’m really happy. My birdies were from between five to 10 feet. This golf course is hard as it’s long and the greens are tough,” said Ababa, who finished third in the Bii Maybank ADT Challenge in Indonesia in July.

“I’m just going to enjoy the day tomorrow. I’ve won three local events on the Philippine Tour last year. But to do it tomorrow, I will need to drive the ball well as you can’t make mistakes here,” he said.

Mark Fernando (75) and James Lam (77) stood at 221. Jay Bayron had a 73 for 223 while Michael Bibat carded a 76 for 224.