Jayvie checks skid, barely hangs on

TEMECULA – Jayvie Agojo of the Philippines kept her composure despite an early double-par misadventure, retaining a share of the lead after the penultimate round Thursday (Friday in Manila) of the Temecula International junior golf championship here.

Making an 8 on the par-4 No. 5 which was actually her third hole in a shotgun tee-off, Agojo needed all the mental toughness to still finish with a seven over par 79 at the Pala Mesa course for a 36-hole aggregate of 150. She earlier had a one-under 71 at the nearby SCGA Members Club layout.

The 15-year-old Agojo, whose trip here is sponsored by Philippine Airlines, tees off in the final round today tied for the lead with Californian Meranie Jaslowski as the OB Montessori student guns for a rare three-peat in the Class B (13-15 years division).

Tonton Asistio and Miko Yee likewise kept their championship hopes alive in boys Class B (12-13 years) by staying among the top four with one round left.

Asistio scored a 77 and battled back to third place with a 159 aggregate while Yee found himself dropping from second to fourth after a dismal 84-160.

The Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines entries here – part of a 24-player contingent for next week’s Callaway Junior World Championships – are using the Temecula tourney as their final preparation for the 43-nation event.

"I almost threw everything away in the hole. I tried my best not to lose my concentration," said Agojo. "It’s like starting from scratch again tomorrow and I hope to be able to keep my focus.

Agojo, a member of the national training pool, needed six strokes before she reached the green on the fifth after a series of strewn shots including one that stayed on the branch of a tree resulting to a penalty.