Chabon forces 3-way tie in Malarayat leg

MANILA, Philippines — Amateur Sofia Chabon stumbled with a late bogey while Chommapat Ponthanarak of Thailand sizzled at the finish as they forced a three-way tie for the lead at 70 with another Thai Onkanok Soisuwan at the start of the ICTSI Mount Malarayat Ladies Classic at Mt. Malarayat composite course in Lipa, Batangas yesterday.

Cyna Rodriguez actually blew a one-stroke lead with bogeys in the last two holes and ended up with a 71 but Chabon came through with a run of gutsy pars after dropping a stroke on the par-5 14th, setting up a crowded leaderboard in the early going of the P1.25 million championship put up by ICTSI.

Tiranan Yoopan and fellow Thai Kanokwan Yospark gunned down three birdies against two bogeys as they tied Rodriguez at fourth while LPGT Riviera leg winner Chihiro Ikeda matched par 72 and Sam Bruce, another Filipina amateur, holed out with a bogey to drop to joint eighth with Thai Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro at 73.