Brother and sister team Lloyd Jefferson and Lois Kaye Go will be trying to keep it in the family. But there will be pressure coming from the outside.
Lois Kaye, former Asian Games team champion member, is protecting a two-shot lead entering the final round of the ladies’ competition.
And whether they could keep both the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championships in the House of Go will depend on how the newly turned pro perform Thursday at Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.
She posted a 71 for a 143 total, holding off the charge of Chihiro Ikeda whose 72 enabled her to take solo second place for 145.
Laurea Duque is at solo third after a 72 for 147.
Sarah Ababa, last week champion, is tied for fourth with Harmie Constantino at 148, following identical 73s for 148. Florence Bisera occupies sixth place after a 75 for 149.
Myra Legaspi, Marvi Monsalve and Mikha Fortuna are a stroke further at 150 on rounds of 73, 75 and 76, respectively.
Lloyd Jefferson kept Ira Alido at bay after carding a two-under-par 70 for a two-stroke edge halfway through the men’s competitions.
He navigated through a roller-coaster backside start of 36 with a strong charge at the front, salvaging four shots in two critical holes and draining two more birdies to claim the solo lead at seven-under 137. This moved him 36 holes away from scoring a breakthrough victory on the Philippine Golf Tour.
Highlighting his round were a scrambling par on the par-5 No. 1 and a lengthy birdie putt on No. 4, which Go described as crucial saves in challenging, hot conditions. Encouraged by his performance, he expressed his determination to maintain his momentum and secure the elusive win over the next two days.
“I hit an OB (out-of-bounds) on No. 1 but eagled it on my second ball for par, and made a long birdie putt on No. 4. That’s probably four shots saved,” said Lloyd Jefferson, who matched Sean Ramos’ 67 to share the opening day honors in the P2 million championship put up by ICTSI Tuesday.
Assisting him in his title quest is his mother-caddie Lily, whose presence provides both support and a lesson in patience for the young campaigner.
Go, priming up for a tournament in Japan next week, credited his short game for his current lead, emphasizing his ability to chip and putt effectively despite errant drives.
“My target is to drive into the fairways but I hit it everywhere. So, my short game really saved me, I chipped and putted well,” said Go, who also birdied Nos. 5 and 8 but holed out with a bogey on the last hole.
However, the Cebuano shotmaker faces stiff challenge not just from Alido, who shot a 71, but also from seasoned campaigner Angelo Que, who waxed hot in the last nine holes at the front to put himself at joint second at 139 following a 72 Tuesday.
“I was still trying to re-familiarize myself with the course, which I haven’t played in 20 years. I wasn’t sure which club to hit,” said Que of his first-round performance marked by four birdies but marred by two bogeys and a double bogey.
After a two-birdie, two-bogey card at the back, he found his range, rhythm and touch at the turn, rattling off three straight birdies from No. 1 then holing out with back-to-back feats on his way to posting the best round in windy day.
“It was sort of a practice round yesterday (Tuesday). I had a good rest that’s why I played better today (Wednesday),” said Que, 45, who tied for 48th in the International Series Macau last week.
Alido, eager to bounce back from a joint 28th place finish in the Apo Golf Classic last week, also rebounded strong from a backside 37 with an eagle on No. 1 and bucked a mishap on the next with three consecutive birdies from No. 3.
