Ramos-Yee takes charge in Nat’l doubles

MANILA, Philippines - AR Ramos and Miggy Yee surged ahead in the opener of the NGAP’s National Doubles championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation despite a five-over 77, posting a one-shot lead over brothers Basti and Santi Lorenzo at the Eastridge layout in Binangonan, Rizal yesterday.

Ramos-Yee hit just one birdie and stumbled with four bogeys and a double bogey while the Lorenzos rallied at the back with a 37 to salvage a 78 in the event also backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports.

The fancied tandem of Kristopher Arevalo and Raymart Tolentino came in two strokes adrift with a 79 in a tie with the GJ Katigbak-Jonar Austria tandem after the alternate shot format.

Play shifts to four-ball (best ball) in today’s second round of the event forming part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour.

Jed Dy, also a former Callaway Junior World winner like Arevalo, made an 83 with teammate Ryan Monsalve to set the pace in Group II with the Carlos and Carlo Packing pair turning in an 87. Carlo Simson-Marco Oliver scored a 91.

Ramos-Yee made back-to-back bogeys from No. 4 and then played it even from the seventh only to fumble with a double bogey 5 on No. 12 and a bogey on the next.

But it still was enough for them to hold the lead as JP de Claro, the other half of the team that won last year with Rupert Zaragosa, and Gabriel Manotoc skied to an 86 to practically bomb out of contention.

The comebacking Tonton Asistio and partner Junnel Roxas were just a shot better than De Claro-Manotoc with an 85, even as Erwin Temena-Rading Decepida assembled an 80 to set the pace in the Mid-Am division, just three behind in the overall race to Ramos-Yee.