Ababa seizes Melaka Am Open lead

SARAH Ababa came out a bit better than ICTSI-The Country Club teammates Princess Superal and Lovelynn Guioguio on an exacting day at the Ayer Keroh Golf Club, carding a six-over 78 and snatching a one-stroke lead at the start of the Melaka Amateur Open Golf Championship in Melaka, Malaysia late Friday.

Ababa, out to snap a year-long victory drought, fired three birdies against six bogeys and had one triple-bogey but still emerged the leader as the rest struggled on the long, narrow layout with hazards and OB stakes lurking in almost every hole.

The unpredictable putting surface also troubled the field with Superal, who ran away with the Malaysian Juniors crown last month, making a five-putt 8 on the par-4 No. 3.

The 16-year-old Superal also stumbled with four bogeys with a lone birdie to show for a seven-over 79 card that still put her in title contention in the 54-hole events, one of a number of tournaments lined up for the ICTSI-TCC bets.

She was joined in second by Guioguio, also raring to end a long slump, who made six bogeys and double-bogey against a lone birdie on the ninth.

Local bet Nur Eliana failed to use her familiarity with the layout and reeled back with an 80 while the rest stood too far behind the frontrunners.