Malaysian outshines local aces, up by one

MANILA, Philippines - Malaysian Fezley Ahmad Chua took charge with a gutsy one-under 71 as the fancied local bets struggled with over par scores at the start of the inaugural Philippine Amateur Junior (Open) Championship at the Cebu Country Club in Cebu yesterday.

Chua hit three birdies to negate his two-bogey mishap as he strung up nines of 35-36 in humbling the field in the boys’ centerpiece Group A and posting a one-stroke lead over Basti Sebastian and club bet Gen Nagai.

Sebastian and Nagai matched par at the flat but tough par-72 layout for joint second while Jama Reyes blew a solid start of 33 with a 41 to drop to fourth in the 54-hole event serving as the fourth leg of the Globe-NGAP (National Golf Association of the Phils.) circuit.

Gio Gandionco and Andres Sa ldaña, two of the pre-tournament favorites, groped for form and logged identical 74s.

LJ Go, a member of the Cebu Country Club team that won this year’s PAL Interclub in Davao, also made a 74, missing a crack at the lead with a double-par on the par-4 14th after an errant drive and a three-putt miscue.

Rupert Zaragosa, another fancied bet trying to shake off a long layoff, limped with a 78 to fall behind by seven along with Canlubang teammate Gabriel Manotoc.

Saldaña, playing out of Alabang, also missed a shot at the lead with a faltering finish, dropping shots on the two par-3s at the back and holing out with another bogey.

Gandionco, on the other hand, made three straight bogeys from No. 13 to fall into a four-way tie that also included Justin Quiban.

Meanwhile, Felicia Medalla made a 78 to tie Bianca Pagdanganan in the lead in girls’ Group A , two ahead of Julienne Lim and Pamela Mariano in the event backed by Pancake House, Titleist and Golf Depot.

Jaime Oposa shot a 74 and led Kristopher Arevalo by a shot in boy’s Group 2, while Annika Cedo shot a 78 to post a one-shot lead over Sofia Chabon in girl’s Group 2.