CANLUBANG, Philippines – Jerson Balasabas took the cudgels for the ICTSI-Canlubang team as top bets Mhark Fernando and Jhonnel Ababa groped for form, firing a four-under 68 to share the lead with young Korea Wang Jeung Hun at the start of the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships at Cangolf’s north course here yesterday.
Balasabas, a veteran of the World Amateurs, came charging home with five birdies, including a three straight from No. 12, against a bogey at the back to complete a 36-32 round in the winds that bedeviled the games of the fancied bets in the four-day championship sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL.
Wang, 14, surprised the field with a similar 32 at the back from where he teed off although the Riviera bet faltered a bit at the front with two bogeys against the same number of birdies for a 36. He dropped a stroke on No. 9 and missed gaining the day’s solo low scoring honors.
Still, those 68s gave the duo a two-shot lead over Erwin Madrileno, a new member of the ICTSI-The Country Club team from Bacolod, who came through with a 33 at the back to anchor his two-under 70 that put him in third out of a starting field of 88.
Peter Villaber and Cangolf’s Sonny Gialon tied for fourth with one-over 73s while Fernando, the reigning national champion and the low amateur in the recent TCC Invitational, blew a one-under par card in the early going and wound up with a 74.
The other two-over par scorers were Paul Echavez, Koreans Kang Youl Hwang, Seo Hyen Yeom, Ok Jae Seong and teener Miguel Tabuena.
Ababa, winner of the Cangolf Am Open late last year and one of the favorites in the event conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils., sputtered with a three-over 75 to drop to joint 12th with former champion Rufino Bayron, Clyde Mondilla, Noel Langamin and Koreans Seung Ryul Moon and Sung Hoon Park.
National team mainstay Antonio Asistio II withdrew at the last-minute due to foot injury.
Tommy Manotoc, coach of the ICTSI-Cangolf team, and Dave Hernandez shot identical four-over 76s.
Meanwhile, SEA Games gold medalist Chihiro Ikeda opens her bid for a third straight crown as action fires off today in the ladies side of the tournament put up by WWWExpress chair Rod Feliciano.
But out to foil her bid is Dottie Ardina, who is coming off a big victory in last week’s Southern Ladies Open in Iloilo.
Others in the fold are former two-time national champion Anya Tanpinco, Sarah Ababa, GerieLeen Handog of Alabang and Matet Salivio of Aguinaldo plus a host of other talented players from the various golf clubs in the land.