Aunzo sustains fiery form, hikes lead to 10

GEN. Trias, Cavite – Ferdie Aunzo, showing his readiness for the big mission ahead, carded a second straight two-under-par 70 yesterday to pull away by 10 strokes after the penultimate round of the Samsung Amateur Golf Tour at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club course here.

Aunzo, who will leave with the national team for the World Amateurs in Adelaide, Australia this weekend, didn’t let the tough conditions affect his well-honed game as he burned the front nine with five-under 31 on the way to posting a 54-hole aggregate of 213, three under par after earlier rounds of 73 and 70.

Unless he blows up bigtime, the title looks in the bag for ICTSI player Aunzo with his prominent rivals in the championship division nowhere in sight. Aunzo actually went four over on his last four holes but still went out with a commanding lead.

It was young Zanie Boy Gialon, the newest talent coming from the Calatagan stable who produced the day’s only other sub-par round, a 70, which put him in solo second place at 223.

Aunzo’s solid game left the rest contending for second place in the tourney also sponsored by Mizuno, Callaway, Wow Magic Sing, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, Gargol, Wave 89.1 and Pagcor-Tagaytay. At stake as hole-in-one prizes are a Club Car and a Sinski motorcycle from Autohub.

Tonton Asistio was running third at 225 while first day leader Johnel Ababa had an 82 and fell into a three-way tie for fourth at 228 with Tonyt Fernando (72) and Alvin Engino, the new Calatagan recruit who score an ace on the first day.

Ryan Lam returned after a missed cut stint in the championship class to shoot a 75 and set the pace in the special championship division for 36 holes.

Koreans were on top in the other two divisions with Jun Ji Su matching par 72 for the lead in Class A and Lee Jae Hyuk ahead in Class B with a 75.

Lam moved up by one over Dave Hernandez while Aaron Dimabuyu and Ian Mathay were tied at 77. Jun was up by two over Cho Hui Sang and Lee leads Butch Bakunawa by five.