Guioguio grabs lead in Sarawak

Manila, Philippines - Lovelynn Guioguio bucked the sweltering heat and carded a two-over par 74 and wresting a one-stroke lead over ICTSI teammate Jayvie Agojo at the start of the Sarawak Amateur Open at the Sarawak Golf Club Resort in Malaysia Friday.

Guioguio banged in just one birdie – a five-foot birdie putt on No. 13 against three missed-green bogeys but still took the lead as the rest struggled in tough playing condition at the long layout with tight fairways.

Agojo checked her backside skid where she teed off with a closing 35 at the front, settling for a 75 to trail Guioguio by one in the 54-hole serving as the Filipino bets’ tuneup for next week’s Malaysian Amateur Open.

Sunshine Baraquiel turned in a 76 to share third place with Malaysian Nur Durriyay while reigning Philippine Ladies Open champion Chihiro Ikeda hobbled with a 79 and stood five stroke off the pace.Sarah Ababa lay a stroke farther back at 80.

“The fairways are very tight at the backside so I kept telling them to keep their ball in the fairway,” said ICTSI team coach Bong Lopez. “But they must also be able to dish out proper distance control with their iron to avoid three putts.”

Ikeda drove out of bounds on No. 12 and wound up with a quadruple bogey then made another triple bogey on No. 16. She had two birdies but also fumbled with two bogeys for that 79.

Baraquiel fought back from a five-over card after nine holes at the back as she made a pitch-in birdie on No. 1 then sank a 12-footer on the third while Ababa struggled with her balky putter, making four three-putts while failing to save pars after missing the green thrice.