Big guns lead match play cast

GEN. Trias, Cavite - Jerome Delariarte carded a three-over-par 75 marred by two double-bogeys yesterday but still emerged the top qualifier in the 2002 Philippine amateur golf championship sponsored by DHL and Wide Wide World Express at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club here.

Playing relaxed despite the tough conditions of the Dye course, the 23-year-old Delariarte edged fellow national training pool member Marlon Dizon by a stroke with his even par 144 aggregate for the No. 1 seeding in a huge 32-man draw being used for the first time in event history.

Dizon tallied one of the low rounds of the day, a 74 for a 36-hole total of 145, as most of the favorites, including back-to-back defending champion Angelo Que and Southeast Asian Games champion Juvic Pagunsan secured their places in the tournament proper where play shifts to match.

Que turned in a second straight 77 to become qualifier No. 11 while Pagunsan, who had a woeful 81 in the opening round, came back from the brink of elimination also with a 77 to make it safely to the next round of the tourney also supported by Mitsubishi Motors and the Philippine Sports Commission.

"It was more of getting ourselves mentally ready for the match play battles. There was really no worry about getting over par," said Delariarte, who lost to Que in the final two years ago at Alabang.