US bet up by 1; Jobim 2 adrift

CARMONA, Cavite—John Michael O’Toole went 5 under par through 20 holes Friday to grab a one-stroke lead over a pair of Thais going into the final round of the $60,000 ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship ADT here.

The American O’Toole completed his second round in the morning with birdies on his last two holes to cap a 10-under-par 61—a new course record at the Legends layout here—before returning to shoot a 68 for a 200 total that moved him on the brink of a second Asian Development Tour title.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai carved out a 66 and compatriot Pikit Petchkasem fired a 69 to lay a shot off the 22-year-old O’Toole, already the winner of the PGM Clearwater Masters in Malaysia last month.

Filipino rookie Jobim Carlos fired the best round of his young pro career—a 66—that put him just two strokes off the pace.

“I just had a great start to my day,” said O’Toole, who resumed his second round with his third shot on the par-5 17th. “That felt very good and it kind of rubbed off for the rest of the day.”

Carlos drained a slightly downhill, sidehill 30-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 16th to highlight a 33-33 card after Mark Fernando, a shot behind Gavin Green when play was called in gathering dusk on Thursday, ballooned to a 73.

Green, the Malaysian ace, managed a 72 to trail by three, in a tie with Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and Donlaphatchai Niyomchon, who fired a 66 and 67, respectively, and Fil-German Keanu Jahns, who assembled a 65.

“I will try to enjoy [the final round] like I did [the third round] today,” said the 23-year-old Carlos, an advertising graduate of University of San Francisco, who missed the cut in his first pro event, the Luisita Championship, won by Antonio Lascuña last month.

Fernando got it to 13-under with three birdies in his 33 going out, then limped home with a triple bogey 7 on No. 14 and bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18.

He didn’t have a single bogey in signing for a 65 and 67 in the first two rounds.

Miguel Tabuena cracked par for the second straight day, shooting a 69 and stood seven shots behind. Lascuña also fired a 69 and was another stroke back.