CANLUBANG -- Gregory Foo outgunned Jobim Carlos in a day-long shootout at Cangolf’s north course Saturday, firing a second straight three-under 69 and pulling away by six strokes lead in the third round of the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship.
Tied with Carlos at the halfway mark of the 72-hole event, Foo rammed in four birdies against a lone bogey then watched the Filipino ace grope for form all day to move 18 holes away from turning what was expected to be a wide-open battle into a one-man show.
He had an eight-under 208, emerging the lone player to keep a run of under-par scores at the tough layout with the local bets forced to shoot in the low 60s to stop the reigning Singapore junior champion from running away with the country’s premier diadem.
Carlos hobbled with three bogeys in a birdie-less day, limping with a 75 after a 70 and a 69 and dropping to a share of second with former national champion Clyde Mondilla at 214.
Mondilla had a so-so 37 after nine holes in the other flight but rallied with three birdies in the last five holes, including Nos. 17-18 to stay in contention in the event presented by Globe Telecom, Inc., Pancake House and Airphil Express.
Miko Alejandro stood two strokes farther back at 216 after a 71 while Choi Jae Seung struggled with a 74 and slid to 217.
Jerome Ng, the other player in the featured flight that included Foo, Carlos and Choi, failed to get his game going, reeling back with a double-bogey mishap at the par-5 17th. He tumbled to joint sixth with Raymund Gonzales, who had a 70, at 218.
Rupert Zaragosa, whose solid 69 Friday sparked hopes of a big comeback by the reigning national and junior champion, failed to find his rhythm and wound up with a 73 for a 220, 12 strokes off the pace.
Meanwhile, Sarah Ababa likewise goes for the crown in the ladies side as she braces for a fiery charge from ICTSI teammates Lovelynn Guioguio, Dottie Ardina and Jayvie Agojo in today’s final round of the 54-hole tournament backed by Tanduay Distillers, Inc. as major sponsor and supported by Club Car, Pacsports, Golf Depot, Autohub and Callaway with Acacia Hotel as official hotel and Titleist as official ball.
Ababa shot a 72 Friday for a 147 as she grabbed a one-stroke lead over Guioguio, who dropped to 148 after a 76.
Ardina lay three strokes behind at 150 after 76 while Agojo pooled a 151 after a 73 in a tie with Princess Superal, who made a 76.
The winners in both divisions will also receive two Blackberry Bold cell phones from Globe while Airphil Express will award two roundtrip tickets to Singapore, according to the organizing National Golf Association of the Phils.
Foo went three-up after nines holes with birdies on Nos. 6 and 9 as Carlos bogeyed No. 2 and missed a couple of birdie putts at the front. The Singaporean dropped a stroke on No. 12 but recovered the stroke with a birdie on No. 14 before storming to a six-shot lead with a closing birdie.
Carlos, who also bogeyed No. 11, kept trying to keep Foo within sight but just couldn’t make the putts, dropping another stroke on No. 15.
Mondilla actually had a fiery start of two birdies but bogeyed No. 3 and made a double-bogey on the next then gave up another stroke on No. 9. But unlike Carlos, he kept on fighting, drilling a birdie-putt on No. 14 before holing out with a birdie-birdie effort.(pr)
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