Agojo trails leader by one in Johor

Manila, Philippines - Jayvie Agojo blew a solid backside start with a faltering windup, settling for a one-over 73 to trail Malaysian Nur Durriyay by one stroke at the start of the Johor Amateur Open at the Johor Golf Club in Malaysia late Thursday.

Agojo, who with ICTSI teammate Sarah Ababa won the New Zealand Foursomes crown in Christchurch recently, recovered from an early bogey on No. 12 with birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 inside four feet but failed to sustain her charge at the front with a missed-green bogey on the fifth and a three-putt mishap from six feet on No. 7.

Still, the former Philippine Ladies Open champion put herself in early contention even as reigning Phl Ladies Open winner and teammate Chihiro Ikeda carded a 75 on a hot, humid day and stood three shots off the pace.

“I hit the ball very well and had a solid iron game but I missed four birdie chances inside 10 feet,” said Agojo.

Since the greens are relative slow, ICTSI team coach Bong Lopez told her wards to hit below the pins, saying, “If you putt from above the hole, it’s very fast due to the slope of the putting surface.”

Agojo kept the ball below all day except on the par-3 No. 7 where she hit her 7-iron tee shot six feet above the hole, which she three-putted.

Ikeda, chasing another title to her growing list of victories, hit two birdies at the back but fumbled with four bogeys and dropped another shot on No. 5 to finish with a 75.

Durriyay mixed two birdies with two bogeys and rescued pars twice to seize control with a 72 while Jo Ee Kok of Singapore and Isza Fariza of Malaysia were five shots off with 77s.