BAGUIO CITY — Manila Southwoods cooled down at Camp John Hay Golf Club but remained entrenched on top behind the heroics of Korean Jeff Jung who posted the day’s only subpar round – 37 points — Thursday.
Southwoods still outscored second-running Forest Hills to extend its lead to 23 points going into the last two rounds at the short but tricky Baguio Country Club starting Saturday.
After opening with 148 points, the defending champion chalked up 138 points getting 35 from Kristoffer Arevalo and a pair of 33s from Gab Manotoc and Carl Corpus.
Jung opened with a birdie and added two more on 4 and 5 before stumbling with a bogey on 7. Going home, he made one birdie against two bogeys, the last on 18 which he three-putted.
Arevalo atoned for his poor opening round, shooting four birdies against three bogeys and a pickup on the fifth hole.
“I thought I made a perfect approach but the ball spun back and dropped from the elevated green,” recalled Arevalo who took three more shots before he sent the ball near the cup.
“At least, nadikit,” he smiled.
Manotoc went out of bounds on the first hole and picked up for the second time on the fifth where he left his approach short.
He made only 14 points at the turn before rallying with two birdies against a bogey at the back.
Corpus also made his move in the last nine holes, firing three birdies against two bogeys.
Aidric Chan failed to count after making only two birdies against three birdies and three pickups.
Meanwhile, Forest Hills opened a big 18-point gap over third-running Januarius Golf Team after posting 134 points and 263 overall.
Augusto Pacheco was the top scorer with 36 followed by Edison Tabalin 34, and Rocky Co and Inigo Raymundo who carded 32 apiece.
Januarius has 245 points after getting 124 from Raymund Sangil (32), Terrence Macatangay (32), RJ Rizada (31), and Ronald Lachica (29).
Over at the Baguio Country Club, Manila Southwoods Team 2 matched its opening 119 points to pull away by 33 points over Royal Northwoods.
Josh Jorge led Southwoods with 35 and got support from Lanz Uy who shot 34, and Shinichi Suzuki and Masaichi Otake who carded 25 points each.
That 35 was the best score made so far at BCC.
Southwoods’ second team has a total of 238 points while Northwoods has 205.
Northwoods drew 29 points from Zach Villaroman, 28 from Patrick Gene Tambalque, 26 from Tristan Jefferson Padilla and 19 from Rajah Crisostomo.
In third place was Riviera-Batangas Barakos with 190 points.
