Dumandan humbles fancied bets

CANLUBANG — Playing as if to prove something, Marvin Dumandan humbled the reigning national champion and the members of the national team, including the highly-touted club bets, as he fired an eagle-spiked four-under-par 68 to find himself a bewildered leader at the start of the eighth DHL-NGAP Amateur Golf Championship here yesterday.

That he did it behind a strong start and a stronger finish spoke well of the caliber of the player whose so-so games dropped him out of the national team last year, but whose explosive 34-34 start in this 72-hole tournament surged him past the likes of fancied players Jerome Delariarte and Juvic Pagunsan.

Abe Rosal, fresh from a big win in last weekend’s Yulo Memorial Cup, actually carried the cudgels for the home bets when he came in with a two-under par 70 that stood as the best score for a while until the sturdy Dumandan came in with his 68 and a two-shot lead.

Overshadowed by Dumandan’s stirring round was Ton-ton Asistio’s impressive outing as the youngest player in the fold, at 13, made a good account of himself when ranged against Delariarte and Rosal as he turned in a 73 to lead the one-over par scorers that included Cangolf’s Boyet Zaragosa and Korean Lee Seong Ki.

"Dumeretso lang ang drive, mas gaganda pa ang score ko," said Asistio, a cousin of former pro Tony Boy Asistio and one of the country’s emerging jungolfers who birdied two of the last seven holes for that 73.

"Swerte lang," humbly said the 22-year-old Dumandan after holing out with a chip-in birdie on the par-4 18th of the north course that proved conducive to low scoring with the absence of the dreaded afternoon winds coupled with a soft putting surface.

But the nice thing about good fortune is that it almost always falls on truly talented players.

Back-to-back birdies inside seven feet heralded Dumandan’s sizzling opening binge, and after a regulation par on the next, the long-hitting shotmaker from the talent-rich Davao, whacked his 6-iron tee shot on the par-3 No. 4 to within four feet for another birdie.

Although bogeys on Nos. 5 and 12 slowed down his bid, Dumandan chipped in from 30 yards for eagle on the par-5 14 barely minutes after flubbing a two-putt birdie putt on the 13th.

"Kundi ba naman talagang swerte, yung putt na malapit na-miss pero yung malalayo, naipapasok," said Dumandan, now hoping to get back his old slot in the national team with the help of uncle and pro circuit campaigner Edgar Ababa.

"Pero medyo madali ang course, ‘wag lang malikot ang driver, maganda umiskor dahil parang maikli lang," he added.

Rosal, a bank executive, strung up nines of 36 and 34 he spiked with four birdies, including a curling 25-footer on the opening hole and a six-footer on the 17th.

Pagunsan, champion in this DHL and WWW Express-sponsored event in 2001, also made the turn at 34 but failed to set up birdie opportunities at the back and settled for a 71 in a tie with fellow Canlubang bet Jun Bernis, who had a 36-35 card.

Delariarte, who beat now-pro Angelo Que in a thrilling finale in last year’s national championship at Eagle Ridge, likewise came out with a 34 but failed to rescue par from the bunkers twice at the back and after another bogey on a rather easy par-5 17th, he needed to birdie the final hole to save a round of 72. Jong Laput joined him later at fifth with a 36-36 card.