Balasabas, Bayron, Aunzo clinch World Am berths

Jerson Balasabas showed his readiness to spearhead the national team in next month’s World Amateurs as he fired a 71 to dominate the NGAP qualifier at Riviera’s Langer course yesterday.

Balasabas, who missed joining the Putra Cup squad last month with a poor finish in a separate elims, held his ground this time and finished with a flourish with that even par card. He highlighted the round with an eagle on the par-4 No. 12 when his approach shot bounced off the green and disappeared into the cup.

He wound up with a 291, five-over par at the Couples and Langer courses, to clinch the top spot in the national team, six strokes clear of Rufino Bayron, who finished second with a 297 after a 74.

Ferdie Aunzo, the reigning national champion, snatched the third and last RP team berth from Jhonnel Ababa, carding a 76 for a 300.

Ababa, who started the final round in joint second with Bayron, never recovered from a poor start of 44 and staggered home with an uncharacteristic 86 and missed the team with a 309 for fifth.

Tonton Asistio, the best performer in the recent Putra Cup, fell short this time with a 301 aggregate despite a decent 74 as he settled for fourth in the four-day elims conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.

Balasabas, a product of the National Caddies Open, and ICTSI mainstays Bayron and Aunzo will thus head the RP team competing against the best in the world in the Eisenhower Trophy, the men’s event of the World Amateurs slated Oct. 16-19 in Adelaide.

It will be Balasabas’ first stint with the national team while veteran internationalists Bayron and Aunzo are expected to provide the experience and poise for the squad.

The Philippines, led by Jay Bayron, Michael Bibat and Marvin Dumandan, finished 38th in a field of 70 in the 2006 World Am in South Africa.

Meanwhile, ICTSI teammates Chihiro Ikeda, Anya Tanpinco and Louise Manalo will try to improve on the 2006 team’s joint 30th finish with Venezuela when the Espirito Santo Trophy is held Oct. 8-11.