Pinoy golfers stumble in World Am opener

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines turned in its worst start in the last five stagings of the World Amateur Golf Championships as it hobbled with a 12-over 156 and fell to joint 51st in the Espirito Santo Trophy at the Buenos Aires Golf Club in Argentina Thursday.

Mhark Fernando made a five-over 77 and Jhonnel Ababa limped home with a seven-over 79 for the team’s 156 output, 19 strokes behind France which pooled a seven-under 137 at the par-72 BAGC.

Canada also had a 137 but it assembled its five-under card at the par-71 Olivos Golf Club, giving France an early two-stroke lead in the three-to-play, two-to-count format event.

Judson Eustaquio didn’t count with an 80 as Team RP dropped into a tie with unfancied Kenya in 51st place, its worst since the team of Jay Bayron, Michael Bibat and Marvin Dumandan opened with a 10-over 154 and wound up 38th in the 2006 World Am in South Africa.

The RP golfers never recovered from a poor start at the backside of the wind-raked layout with Fernando carding a six-over 41 from two double bogeys and two bogeys against a bogey.

Eustaquio opened with a birdie on No. 10 but made a double bogey on No. 12 then bogeyed three of the next six holes for a 40.

Ababa, in his final stint in the amateurs, stumbled with two bogeys and two double bogeys and wound up with a birdie-less 42.

The 28-year-old Fernando, who will also turn pro after next month’s Asian Games, hit back-to-back birdies from No. 1 but made three bogeys against a birdie in the next seven holes for a 36 and a 77.

Ababa settled down with two bogeys against a birdie but hardly improved with a 37 and 79 while Eustaquio gunned down back-to-back birdies from No. 6 but had four bogeys and a double-bogey for a second straight 40.

Still, the troika, whose campaign is sanctioned by National Golf Association of the Phils. and backed by ICTSI and the Philippine Sports Commission, hopes to improve as it tackles the shorter Olivos layout in the second round of the 72-hole championship Friday.