Delariarte paces elims with 69 card

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite — After two close misses, Jerome Delariarte showed he’s ready to contend again as he fired an eagle-aided three-under-par 69 yesterday for the top spot in the opening round of the Philippine amateur golf championship’s qualifying stage.

Delariarte, who had reached the finals in 2000 and the semifinals last year, sustained a birdie-birdie start to set the pace for the 65 starters gunning for slots in the 32-man match play tournament proper tomorrow.

The 23-year-old who just made it to the national training pool led by two strokes over Marlon Dizon, who submitted the only other sub-par round — a 71 — at the challenging Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club’s Faldo course.

Angel Que’s three-peat bid got off to a turbulent start with his putting miscues bringing him down to the middle of the pack. He was tied for 12th after a 77, but safely within the cut-off mark.

"I really didn’t putt well today. The objective is to make it to the best 32, however, and I’ll make sure to do that tomorrow," said Que, who is bidding to match the legendary Luis "Golem" Silverio’s record as the only player to win the event three consecutive times.

The event is being conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and sponsored by DHL Philippines and Wide Wide World Express.

While his fellow training pool members seem set to make the grade, Juvic Pagunsan will have some work to do in the final 18 holes of the two-day qualifying at the adjacent Dye layout which is the toughest of Eagle Ridge’s four-course menu.

The Southeast Asian Games champ gold medallist fell victim to the tough lies and the severely angled greens of the Faldo course for an 81 and was tied for 29th and 32nd spots.

Cookie LaO, who had topped the eliminations of this event thrice in the last five years, was bunched for third at 73 with former winner Artemio Murakami, ex-pro Dave Hernandez and Godofredo Sinfuego.

The highlight of Delariarte’s round came in the par-5 fourth hole where he buried a chip from 15 yards for an eagle. He also birdied Nos. 2, 7, 13 and 14 to make up for bogeys on the second, seventh and 15th holes.