DESPITE a faltering finish, Rufino Bayron
matched par-72 and pulled away by five strokes over Tonton
Asistio and Mario Labajo yesterday going into the final round
of the DHL-WWExpress National Amateur Golf Championships at
the north course of the Canlubang golf complex in Laguna.
After firing three birdies in the front
nine starting on No. 4, Bayron gave back three strokes in the
last nine without a birdie to show. His nines of 33-39 round,
however, were enough to pad his overnight two-shot lead to
five as his erstwhile pursuers fumbled with over par rounds on
the tough, hazard-laden layout.
He will go into today’s final round with a
211 total, five shots up on Asistio who had an eagle-aided
four-under 68 and moved into a tie for second at 216 with
Labajo who matched par in the third round of the tournament
sponsored by DHL and WWWExpress for the 13th year.
Korean Jung Hwa Lee took charge in the
ladies division with an even-par 72 for a four-shot lead as
first-day leader Lydia Ivana Jaya of Indonesia and ICTSI
teammates Anya Tanpinco and Philippine Ladies Open champion
Chihiro Ikeda struggled.
Lee birdied the difficult par-4 18 to
salvage nines of 35-37 for 146 as Ivana Jaya and Ikeda, tipped
to crowd each other for the crown after their RP Ladies Open
duel, stumbled with 77 and 76, respectively. They dropped into
a tie with Tanpinco who also had a 76 at 150.
Sarah Jane Ababa and Sunshine Baraquiel
came through with 75 and 77, respectively, to share fifth
place at 151 going into the final round of the 54-hole
championship being conducted by the national Golf Association
of the Philippines.
In the team event, the RP squad of Anthony
and Mark Fernando and Jhonnel Ababa dominated Malaysia’s M.
Arie Fauzi and Nicholas Fung to win the 54-hole side
tournament with a 433 aggregate, 17 shots ahead of the
visiting team that pooled 450.
The ladies group of Ikeda, Tanpinco and
Regina de Guzman also combined for 298 to post a whopping
14-stroke lead over Malaysia (312) with Singapore struggling
with 230.
