KATSURAGAWA, SASO LEAVE RIVIERA FIELD BITING DUST
Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa thrived under demanding conditions yesterday and widened an overnight twostroke lead in the Philippine Amateur Open golf championship to five going into the final two rounds at Riviera’s wind-swept Couples layout in Silang, Cavite. The reedy 18-yearold, the reigning Southwoods champion, birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to save a one-under-par 71 as his pursuers stumbled by the wayside one after the other. Counting an opening 69, Katsuragawa now has a 36-hole 140 aggregate and clawed closer the biggest triumph of his young career with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana toting a 145 after a similar 71. Paolo Wong, who started the day just two shots adrift, skied to a triple bogey-marred 82 for 153, now 13 behind and practically needing to close out with two rounds in the mid-60s to matter on Sunday.
Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso also built a five-shot lead in women’s play after a 70 that was highlighted by a string of five straight birdies in a hot stretch in the back nine.
With a 139 tally, Saso built some cushion over Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn, who fired the best score of the day, a 69 even as defending champion Harmie Constantino fumbled with a 75 to be another two strokes behind.
Katsuragawa showed steely resolve on a day when the others struggled, recovering from a shaky start with four birdies in the back nine capped by those in two of the last three holes.
South Korea’s Joo Hyungkim shot a 73 to be at 147, with Aniceto Mandanas shooting a 75 to be in a tie for 149 with Carl Corpus, who shot a 76.