ICTSI bets near Karambunai Am sweep

MANILA, Philippines - Chihiro Ikeda made two three-putts and wavered with a 73 after a 69 but wrested a two-shot lead instead as erstwhile co-leader Dottie Ardina hobbled with a 75 in the second round of the 10th Karambunai Amateur Open 2010 at the Nexus Golf Club and Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Saturday.

Dante Becierra also limped home with a 76 after a 74 but padded his overnight one-shot lead over teammate Peter Villaber to two as the ICTSI-backed bets threatened to sweep the 54-hole tournament like what their younger teammates did in the Malaysian Junior Open last week.

Ikeda actually played solid off the mound and came up with superb iron shots, hitting 15 greens in regulation. But she struggled on the unpredictable putting surface of the par-72 layout and three-putted twice on Nos. 5 and 9 while failing to save par on a missed-green mishap on No. 7.

But Ikeda, gearing up for the Santi Cup next week, rebounded with back-to-back birdies from No. 15 for a 142 aggregate as she pounced on Ardina’s three-over card to move within 18 holes of duplicating her victory here in 2008.

Ardina, who matched Ikeda’s opening 69, dropped to 144 while Malaysian Diana Tam moved up to third with a 148 after shooting the day’s best score of 72.

Jayvie Agojo also bounced back with a 73 after a 76 but stood seven shots off the pace at 149 followed by Lovelynn Guioguio (74-150), Sarah Ababa (76-151) and local bet Celeste Lo (77-153).

Becierra, the former Hong Kong Open champion, made four birdies but had too many bogeys and a double-bogey but his 76 and a 150 proved enough to put him two strokes ahead of Villaber, who had a 152 after a 77.

Youthful Alexes Nallos caught up Villaber in third with a 152 after a 76 while Malaysian Lam Yu Shuen shot a 78 for a 153 and Peter Tan, another local bet, stood at 154 after a second straight 77.