Zaragosa fires 66, pulls away by seven

TRECE Martirez, Cavite, Philippines – Rupert Zaragosa picked up eight shots in his first 16 holes yesterday before settling for a six-under-par 66 and a seven-shot lead over Rico Hoey going into the final 18 holes of the NGAP’s Philippine Amateur Closed championship at Sherwood Hills here.

The Putra Cup member closed out bogey-bogey, but that didn’t stop the 15-year-old wonder kid from Canlubang from practically putting his fourth national title in the bag with a 54-hole 206 tally in the event forming part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour, presented by the MVP Sports Foundation and backed by Pancake House, Nike, Golf Depot and Pacsports.

Hoey, a 17-year-old born of Filipino parents who will be joining Zaragosa, Jobim Carlos and Jonathan Delos Reyes in Southeast Asia’s official team championship, fired a 70 but still lost ground to the pint-sized Zaragosa.

Lloyd Jefferson Go, the 18-year-old from Cebu, cracked par for the first time in three days to wrest third place, six strokes behind Hoey but two ahead of Delos Reyes, a 19-year-old Fil-American, who managed a 73.

“I’m excited in winning another title,” said Zaragosa, who eagled the par-5 15th for the second straight round. “But it will all still depend on how I play the final round. Nothing is certain in a course like this.”

Basti Lorenzo matched par for 223, with Carlos struggling to a 76 to fall another shot back like lefty Andres Saldana, who returned a 75.

Bianca Pagdanganan, meanwhile, assembled a 70 and wrested control of women’s play from Regina De Guzman, who now trails by three after a 73.

Pagdanganan will take a 219 aggregate into today’s final round and hopes to nail down the biggest victory of her young career. But she would have to deal with the long-hitting De Guzman and Simone Hoey, who is just seven shots back after a 75.

As hot as he played the first 16 holes, Zaragosa didn’t get the breaks to come his way in the final two, as his four-foot putt for par on the 17th lipped out.

Zaragosa then bombed it off the 18th tee, leaving himself with a pitching wedge for his approach on the 462-yard hole. He did find the left side of the green but three putted for his second bogey.