Negrido, Alejandro take charge in RP-Japan golf

Nonoy Negrido and Miko Alejandro shared the lead in boys Class A after firing identical even-par 72s yesterday in the inaugural Philippines-Japan Friendship golf tournament at the windswept Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club course.

Negrido bucked a double-bogey on the ninth with a two-under stint coming home while Alejandro banged in birdies on two of the last three holes to move up by two shots over another RP bet Ian Rey Intal.

Hirotsugu Kokubo was the best-placed Japanese entry with his five-over 77 putting him in joint fourth with the Cebu-based Charles Hong and Justin Tambunting.

Remijin Camping, shooting a one-over-par 73, pounced on Jayvie Agojo’s struggling form to open up an eight-stroke lead in the 36-hole tourney sponsored by Tagaytay Midlands, Comworks, MilkJoy, Bong Lopez Golf, IWSI, Nelson de Villa and La Jolla Golf.

In boys Class B, Junro Mamaril bucked the odds to tie the heavily-favored Tonton Asistio for the top spot at 74 with IG Gutierrez, Allan Guy and Adrian Woo right behind them after posting 76s. Debbie de Villa led the girls side, rallying in the back nine for a two-stroke edge over Cyna Marie Rodriguez. De Villa shot a 94 and Rodriguez carded a 96.

In the special division for players 10 years and under, JR Gonzales and Allenby Jiro Ramos shared a five-stroke lead.

category with similar 83s while former junior world champ Dottie Ardina (80) set the pace for younger rivals Christina Potenciano (85) and Andie Unson (93).

Camping eagled the par-5 sixth hole for a one-under 35 in the front nine. She made two bogeys on the 14th and 15th but those mistakes didn’t stop her from becoming the runaway leader in her division as Agojo had 40-41 and Matet Salivio made 40-42.

A total of 62 players are seeing action in the home-and-away duel held in cooperation with the Philippines-Japan Camaraderie Association.