Arbole pulls away by five, cards 68

MANILA, Philippines –  Art Arbole turned in a solid four-under par 68 Thursday and pounced on halfway leader Zanie Boy Gialon’s foldup to seize a commanding five-stroke lead in the third round of the Mindanao Regional Amateur golf championship at the Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon.

Arbole, 21, fired five birdies to negate a lone bogey-mishap on No. 12 for his third straight under par round at the soggy layout as the top ICTSI-Cangolf bet pulled away from the pack with a 209 aggregate heading into the final round of the event organized by the National Golf Association of the Phils. and presented by Pancake House and SOC Land.

Gialon, the ICTSI-The Country Club stalwart who wrested control with a 66 in the second round, skied to a 75, marred by a double bogey and two bogeys against a lone birdie on No. 18. He tumbled down to second at 214 with first round leader and local bet Banny Abano.

Abano matched par 72 on a one-birdie, one-bogey round while Raymond Jaraula, another ICTSI-TCC bet, hobbled with a 77 for a 217 as he stood eight strokes adrift off Arbole in the tournament backed by Callawa, Ping, Odyssey Golf and Del Monte.

Sarah Ababa, meanwhile, fumbled with a 44 at the front and wound up with an 81, barely hanging on to a one-shot lead over ICTSI teammate Daniella Uy heading into the last 18 holes of the ladies division.

Ababa, who took a three-shot lead over Sheryl Villasencio in the first round, had one triple-bogey, a double bogey and three bogeys in a birdie-less frontside stint but settled down with a 37 at the back to remain on course of her title bid at 154.