Trapped LJ blasts way to 3-shot lead

MANILA, Philippines - LJ Go came back from disastrous start from the bunkers with a blast of three birdies for a second straight even par 72, seizing a three-stroke lead over defending champion Jerome Ng as erstwhile leader Jobim Carlos skied to a 77 halfway through the MVPSF Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship at the Wack Wack East course yesterday.

The 18-year-old Go dropped two strokes on the opening par-4 hole where he needed two bunker shots to get out then wavered further on the next with a bogey. But he fought back with birdies on Nos. 7, 13 and 15, the last from 40 feet out, shoving the Cebu Country Club standout past Ng and into the solo lead at 144.

“Terrible bunkers,” said Go, referring to his early misfortunes. “On the first hole, I had too much sand and shot it too much to the right. On the second, I had a bad line. Thankfully, I shot better the last 16 holes, something just clicked.”

Ng, who bested the local field to capture last year’s crown in the annual event presented by the MVP Sports Foundation and sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Phl, had his game going at the front to wrest the early lead with a 34. But he sputtered at the finish, limping with a 39 for a 73 and dropping to second at 147.

Carlos, who made an impressive bogey-free 71 Monday, fumbled with a 77 and slid to third at 148 with still 36 holes to play in the event backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports as part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour.

“It’s a bad day for me, I couldn’t get it going. Will just try to play better the last two days,” said Carlos, a University of San Francisco golf scholar who topped the Cabo del Sol Inter-Collegiate Championship last October.

With a three-shot lead, Go, a golf scholar at Seton Hall where he plans to take up a Finance course, hopes to pull away from the field to build enough cushion heading to the final round where pressure is expected to mount.

“Usually I play good in the first round and screw up the following days,” said Go. “I’m hoping I could continue to play like this,” he said.

Rounding up the Top 10 were Gabriel Manotoc (150), Singapore’s Abdul Hadi (151), Justin Quiban (151), Singapore’s Johnson Poh (152) and Marc Ong (153), Rogelio Ramir Roque (155) and Korea’s Park Min Sung (155). 

Antonio Asistio, the former pro and multi-titled amateur, hobbled with a 79 and stood too far behind at 157 whhile Korean Kim In Jae was disqualified for signing a wrong scorecard.