Jolo virtual champ; Gabasa moves up by 2

JOLO MAGCALAYO all but wrapped up the men’s crown with a second straight 71, hiking his lead to nine over Masaichi Otake even as Junia Gabasa wrested control in the women’s side despite a 75 in the third round of the W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf’s North course in Laguna on Thursday.

As elder brother Jonas bowed out with bogeys on the first three holes, Jolo rebounded from a shaky start with a slew of birdies, finishing with five that negated 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.

He 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 stroke on the closing par- 4 hole.

With a nine- under 207 aggregate, the 17- year- old Jolo went unassailably ahead of the pack with Otake moving to solo second at 216 after a 69 as erstwhile second- running Jonas groped for a 79 and tumbled to eighth at 222.

Sean Ramos carded a 73 for third at 217 while another stroke adrift at 218 is Carl Corpus, who matched par 72. Paolo Wong rallied with a 33 for a 71 to tie Perry Bucay, who turned in a 73, and Paqo Barro, who made a 76, at fifth at 221.

Rupert Zaragosa, who will join the pro ranks next month, failed to make a charge and settled for a 74 for joint ninth at 223 with Kristoffer Arevalo, who had a 76, and Elee Bisera, who made a 77.

After being crowded by Eagle Ace Superal and Sofia Chabon in the first two rounds, Gabasa finally shook off her challengers, bucking a woeful backside 40 for a 75 and a 222 as Chabon reeled back with a 38- 41 for a 79 and fell to fourth at 226.

Young Rianne Malixi and Sofia Legaspi took over at joint second with 224s with the former stringing a 36-37 for a 73 and the latter bouncing back from an opening 39 with a 35 for a 74.

Bernice Olivarez-Ilas remained too far behind at 228 after a 75 while Rafaela Singson, who fumbled with a 78, tied Superal, who skied to an 81, at 229, now seven strokes behind heading to the last 18 holes of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour and backed Cignal, Metro Pacific and Cangolf.

Dylan Castillo shot a 76 to post a onestroke edge over Kim Tae Won in boys’ play while Sophia Abarcas made a 79 for a threeshot lead over Mikhaela Constantino in girls’ side of the Special Division as part of the NGAP’s grassroots program that drew bets from Apo Golf and Del Monte.