Fernando, Cyna, Ikeda assured of slots
ANTIPOLO – Mark Fernando virtually clinched a spot in the national pool with a two-under 70, erecting a four-stroke lead over Jessie Balasabas and Tonton Asistio with one round left in the NGAP’s national golf pool qualifier at the Valley Golf Club here yesterday.
Cyna Rodriguez and Chihiro Ikeda likewise assured their berths in the ladies side as they kept their 1-2 posts with 74-226 and 75-227, respectively, way ahead of their rivals for the top five seats in the pool.
Anya Tanpinco, already seed in the pool following her victory in last week’s Philippine Amateur Golf Championship, is in third with a 233 after a 77 while first round leader Louise Manalo struggled under tough playing condition and finished with an 82 to barely hold on to fourth spot with a 236.
Staying in the hunt were Lovelyn Guioguio (79-240) and Carmelette Villaroman, (79-243) along with Sarah Jane Ababa (82-244), Kristine Leonen (83-244) and
Just one shot ahead of Rufino Bayron at the start of the day, Fernando birdied the first two holes then went on to finish with a 34-36 card for that 70 and a 54-hole haul of 211, nine strokes ahead of the sixth running Mario Labajo (74-220).
Fernando stood four strokes ahead of Balasabas, who sizzled with the day’s best score of 68, which featured six birdies, as he caught up with Asistio in second with a 215. Asistio birdied No. 17 to match par 72 over the up-and-down layout.
Bayron recovered from an atrocious 40 at the front, firing back-to-back birdies from No. 16 to salvage a 74 as he assembled a 216 aggregate in the four-day tournament conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils. that will pick the six members of the national pool.
With the fifth-running Jhonnel Ababa way behind at 219 after a 71, Balasabas, Asistio and Bayron need only to come up with decent rounds to clinch their berths in the pool with the last two seats to be disputed by at least seven players in a final round shootout among the aspirants today.
Labajo carded a 74 and stood in sixth place with a 220 while Terence Macatangay also made a 74 and was another shot adrift a 221.
Dante Becierra failed to come up with a follow-up to a solid 67 Wednesday as he struggled with a 74 for a 222 in a tie with Erwin Vinluan (76) and national champion Ferdie Aunzo, who matched par 72.
Last year’s RP Amateur champion Anthony Fernando bogeyed two of the last six holes and missed tying Macatangay at seventh as he settled for a 71 and a 223.
For winning the national amateur championship last week, Aunzo will be given an extra slot in the pool if he fails to make it to the top six, together with Tanpinco if she lands outside of the top five in the ladies side.
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