RP jungolfers trail leaders in world tiff

SAN DIEGO, California — The Philippines held its own in the face of tremendous scoring on all venues as Wolen Superal and John Kier Abdon fired identical three-under par cards and Ma. Christina Potenciano finished two shots off the lead in the first round of the Callaway Junior World golf championships here Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

Nobody among the 26 Filipino bets emerged as frontrunner in the first burst of fire but the RP team found itself an outside threat in five age groups of the event steeped in history for the golfing legends it had produced.

World champion Dottie Ardina, the most prominent in the cast, showed some resiliency homeward after a shaky start against top-class opposition and finished with two-over 61 at the Singing Hills Pine Glen for ninth place.

Miko Alejandro, one of the youth aces churned out by the Southwoods jungolf project back home, settled for an even par 72 in Class B ( 13-14), losing a fiery underpar card with an errant three-iron teeshot that went out of bounds on the final hole. He was four shots off China’s Henry Han and American Joshua Dupont.

Pretty Jayvie Agojo of OB Montessori assembled a two-over par 76 despite four three-putts under descending fog and biting cold wind at Torrey Pines North to end up 15th overall. Compatriot Matet Salivio had a 78 marked by her first ever hole-in-one with a wedgeshot on the third hole.

It was the strongest start by the RP team since the twin feat of Ramon Brobio and Carito Villaroman in 1983 as it waged battle against the very best junior golfers from more than 40 nations with 11 bets having good chances of making it to the final round.

"We couldn’t have asked for a better start for the kids and we hope we could sustain the drive," said Gerry Handog, president of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines.

The Philippine contingent is sponsored by Philippine Airlines, Samsung Phils., Airlift Asia, Philippine Sports Commission, Global Lightings and MCCI.

The pocket threats at 8-and-under at Presidio, however, groped for form in finger-numbing cold as Miguel Tabuena, nursing a bum stomach, had a three-over 57, falling eight shots behind the record 49 of local Ben Doyle while JP de Claro had 79 and JR Gonzales a 60.

That left Potenciano and Andie Unson, the little girls from Poveda, to carry the fight for the Filipinos in the age bracket, firing 55 and 56, respectively to stay dangerously close to leader Alisson Lee who had 53.

Four other Filipinos made notable starts. Justin Tambunting had 75, his day ruined with bogeys on the last two holes, and Terrence Macatangay enjoyed a redhot start of one-under par at the front but ended up with 77 at Torrey Pines South in the division led by Americans Brian Ward and Chris Freeman with 69s. Geleen Handog had a 76 to be at 15th in the girls 13-14 group.

The 10-year old Superal made three of his five birdies from eagle putts on par 4s for his 55 at Pine Glen where he consistently broke par, this time his eighth since practice days. But he had two three-putts and muffed makeable birdie putts within 10 feet .

"Maraming missed short putts," said Superal settling for joint second with four others one shot behind leader American Cameroon Wilson (54).

Abdon, from St. Benedict-Alabang who dominated the 11-12 division in last summer’s Samsung jungolf circuit, finished in a tear with birdies in the last three holes, carding five birdies against two bogeys in all for tie with four others at second.

The nine-year old Ardina went three over in the first seven holes but grimly hang on to finish at two- over par for ninth although she found herself trailing by seven shots world champion Tanya Wadhawa of New Delhi who had five under 54.