MANILA, Philippines - Reigning national champion Mhark Fernando held his own against the region’s top players as he put in a solid round of five-under par 67 to trail Chinese Han Ren by three strokes at the start of the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship in Southern China late Thursday.
Fernando rattled off six birdies in an 11-hole stretch at the Mission Hills Golf Club’s World Cup course, including a three-birdie string from No. 6, putting himself in early contention for the title, which counts an invitation to the 2010 US Masters and a spot in International Final Qualifying for the British Open Championship at St Andrews.
Winner of a pro tournament on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour recently, the Calatagan bet could’ve closed to within two off the Chinese ace but fumbled with a bogey on the par-4 17th and settled for third behind Han Chang Won of Korea with a 33-34 round.
Still, it was an impressive outing for the soft-spoken Fernando, who hopes to sustain his charge in the second round against New Zealand’s Peter Spearman-Burn and Gregory Foo of Singapore in the 11:45 a.m. flight on No. 10.
US-based Judson Eustaquio, who fell short of his bid to join the SEA Games-bound national team last week, also made a good impression, firing a four-under 68 on a five-birdie, one-bogey effort for a share of fourth with New Zealand’s Jordan Sherratt.
Eustaquio came out smoking with back-to-back birdies and picked up another stroke on the par-5 No. 6 to spark hopes for an explosive campaign by the power-hitting Filipino. A bogey on the par-5 11th, however, slowed him down but he fought back with birdies on Nos. 12 and 15 to cap his solid round.
Antonio Asistio, the top ICTSI golf team bet who with Fernando will spearhead the country’s campaign in the Laos SEAG next month, actually came through with two eagles and two birdies but stumbled with three bogeys for a 35-34 round.
The long-hitting Asistio opened his bid with a bogey but recovered with an eagle on the par-5 No. 2 but missed a couple of birdie chances in the next seven holes for a 35. He dropped another shot on the 10th but eagled the par-5 11th then birdied Nos. 12 and 15 before bogeying the tough 17th.
The three other Filipinos invited to the 72-hole event – ICTSI’s Dante Becierra and Peter Villaber and Calatagan’s Jhonnel Ababa – all carded 73s and would need to shoot low rounds to stay in contention for top honors.
Han, who played in three holes in an exhibition match against Tiger Woods at the same venue in 2001, opened with a birdie and added three more in a row from No. 5 for a 32. He then birdied Nos. 10, 13, 15 and 16 but dropped a stroke on the last hole after dumping his approach shot into the greenside bunker.
One hundred sixteen players from 30 Asia Pacific Golf Confederation member countries are competing in the first Asian Amateur Championship, being played approximately 90 minutes north of Hong Kong.