Gialon 2 up in Minda Am

MANILA, Philippines –  Zanie Boy Gialon of ICTSI-The Country Club fired an eagle-spiked six-under-par 66 to wrest a two-stroke lead over Art Arbole halfway through the Mindanao Regional Amateur golf championship at the rain-drenched Del Monte Golf Club in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon Wednesday.

Gialon, 21, took advantage of the lift, clean and place format to fashion out a bogey-free round at the muddied layout, highlighting his 31-35 round with a pitch-in eagle from 30 yards on the par-4 No. 6.

He pooled a 36-hole total of 139, two shots ahead of Arbole with two rounds left in the event presented by Pancake House and SOC Land.

Arbole, a member of the ICTSI-Cangolf squad, fired a 70 for a 141 even as first round leader Banny Abano wavered with a 75 to fall four strokes off the pace at 143 in the event backed by Callaway and Odyssey Golf and Del Monte.

Sarah Ababa, also of ICTSI-TCC, took charge in the ladies side by carding a 73 for a three-stroke lead over teammate Sheryl Villasencio and local bet Eva Miñoza at the start of the 54-hole tournament, organized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Villasencio and Miñoza turned in identical 76s while Daniella Uy, also of ICTSI, stood in fourth with a 77 followed by ICTSI’s Sunshine Baraquiel, Sun Choi and Kristin Leonen of Del Monte.

Leonard Lofranco, another member of the victorious Del Monte team in the Philippine Airlines Interclub, shot a 71 also for a 143 while Raymond Jaraulla, also of ICTSI-TCC, matched par for the second straight day and stood five strokes off the lead at 144.

The top three players in the men’s division that hail from the Mindanao region will get free trips to the Philippine Am while the ladies side will offer two tickets to the national championship scheduled at The Riviera in Silang, Cavite, on April 12-15.

Bukidnon native Clyde Mondilla will defend his men’s title in Cavite. He withdrew from the Mindanao Am to prepare for the first Montecillo International Junior Cup which starts March 7 at Mt. Malarayat in Lipa City, Batangas.