Olivarez-Ilas hangs on; Dy fires 61

SAN DIEGO – Bernice Olivarez-Ilas took a step closer to nailing her first major international victory as she scrambled for an even-par 56 to keep her two-stroke lead in the girls 9-10 years division in the penultimate round Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) in the Junior World golf championships here.

And Jed Dy turned in the day’s best round of one-under-par 61 in the boys 7-8 years to force a four-way tie for second, four shots off Thai leader Wit Pitpat.

Olivarez-Ilas, daughter of former national tennis player Eva, survived a rough back nine of the Lomas Santa Fe executive course where she fumbled with a double-bogey on No. 10. She, however, showed a big fighting heart in recovering from every mistake down the last eight holes, hitting two birdies to negate the same number of bogeys.

With a 110 aggregate and a two-shot lead over Ashley Park of the US, Olivarez-Ilas finds herself in an almost familiar situation – she also went into the final round leading the 6 years and under battle three years ago.

She lost that one after a sputtering finish but her camp is confident of her title chances this time.

Dy, seven shots off Pitpat when he started, assembled a round that should make him the player to watch in a crowded duel at the Oaks North course.

He was the only player to break par to join Sakanpat Mala (65), Casey Jarvis of South Africa (65) and Jeevan Sihota of Canada (63) in second place. They will be pursuing Pitpat (64) whose game was a far cry from his opening 59.

It could be that Olivarez-Ilas and Dy, who were flown to this coastal state by Philippine Airlines as division champions in a national qualifying, are the only ones left to fight for a Philippine victory as the other members of the contingent carrying the colors of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines struggled.

Carl Corpus, tied for sixth at the start, came tumbling down with a 70 in the boys 9-10 action for a 132 total and so did Harmie Constantino and Mia Legaspi with their scores of 75 and 76, respectively, that virtually booted them out of the title fight.

Even the top bets in the girls 15-17 years fell far adrift with Princess Superal of ICTSI now nine behind after a 75-148 for a share of 16th. 

Raymund Gonzales Jr. stayed just two shots off in the boys 15-17 years after a 72-142 at the Torrey Pines south course.