Jolo Magcalayo virtual champ; Junia Gabasa takes charge

CANLUBANG, Philippines — Jolo Magcalayo checked an early skid with a cluster of birdies to all but nail the men’s championship while Junia Gabasa surged ahead by two despite a 75 after three rounds of the W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf’s North course here yesterday.

As erstwhile chief rival and elder brother Jonas stumbled with bogeys on the first three holes and bowed out of contention with a 79, Jolo rebounded from a shaky start with five birdies to negate a four-bogey mishap, including on the last hole that hardly put a dent to his title drive in the 72-hole championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and held in honor of the late NGAP president and golf patron Rod V. Feliciano.

Seven-up on Jonas after 36 holes, Jolo bogeyed Nos. 2 and 3 but birdied the sixth and eighth holes, dropped another stroke on No.12 but birdied Nos. 14, 16 and 17 before yielding another shot on the closing par-4 hole.

With a nine-under 207 aggregate, the 17-year-old Jolo went unassailably ahead to all but record his biggest win in a young career with Masaichi Otake grabbing solo second at 216 after a 69 as Jonas groped for a 40-39 and tumbled to eighth at 222.