Asistio surges ahead with 70, leads by 4

Tonton Asistio blitzed the backside with three birdies and shot a second straight 70, seizing a four-stroke lead over erstwhile leader Jhonnel Ababa who fumbled with a 76 in the third round of the ninth Canlubang Amateur Open Golf Championship at the Cangolf’s north course yesterday.

Asistio, who started the round two strokes adrift of Ababa, played a near-perfect game in the last nine holes as he recovered from a one-over 37 card after nine holes with birdies on Nos. 12, 14 and 18.

With a 215 aggregate, the ICTSI-backed Asistio moved 18 holes away from clinching the championship as he pounced on the faltering Ababa, who dropped four strokes in the last seven holes for a 36-40 round and a 219.

That six-shot swing gave Asistio a whopping four-stroke lead over the defending champion going into the final round of the tournament backed by Seamecor Inc., Nature’s Spring, Unilever Food Solutions, Zuellig Pharma Phils., Pacsports, Ayala Land Premier, Pisanti Golf, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and All Visual and Lights Systems.

It was a sorry windup for Ababa, who fired a 69 Wednesday to wrest control and appeared headed for a cruise after hiking his lead to three strokes over Asistio, also of The Country Club, with an even par 36 at the front.

But he bogeyed No. 12, dropped two more strokes on Nos. 15 and 16 before holing out with another bogey on the 18th.

Joey Huerva carded a two-over par 74 and stayed in third place with a 220 while a shot farther back at 221 was the troika of Anthony Fernando of TCC, Mark Fernando of Cangolf and Choi Min Sik of Eagle Ridge.

Anthony Fernando, the first day leader, bounced back from a second day 76 as he turned in a 73 to catch up with Mark Fernando, who shot the day’s best of 69, while Choi matched par for the second straight day.

Dante Becierra, the other TCC bet gearing up for his title defense in next week’s Hong Kong Amateur Open, also shot a two-under 70 but stood seven strokes off Asistio at 222.