Corpus, Dy running 2nd in Jr World

SAN DIEGO – Carl Jano Corpus fired a 67 while Jed Dy shot a 61 as they tied for second in their respective divisions to emerge the best-placed performers for Team Philippines at the start of the 47th Callaway Junior World golf championships in various venues in California here Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

Corpus’s four-under-par card at Sycuan Resort-Oak Glen put him three strokes behind the American leader in the boys 11-12 years age-group while Dy, gunning for a second crown in three years after ruling the boys 7-8 in 2012, joined a seven-way logjam with a one-under 61 at Wek Resort-Fountains course, six shots behind Japanese Ken Shibata in the boys 9-10 years play. 

Shibata was one of the day’s seven frontrunners emerging from a powerhouse Japan contingent which appeared bent on another dominating show with a host of others also contending for the crown. 

Miya Legaspi, Bernice Ilas, Wei Wei Gao, Yuka Saso and Harmie Constantino provided the other bright points to an otherwise slow start by the Philippine delegation which saw its main guy Rupert Zaragosa fall behind with a fat six-over 78 at the tough Torrey Pines south course.

Ilas, who completed a title double with Dy with her victory in the 9-10 age-group three years ago, fired a three-under 70 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn course despite nagging pain on her right knee for solo fifth in girls 9-10 years; Legaspi shot a two-under 70 at Torrey Pines North and was in sixth place in the girls 15-17 and Wei Wei Gao was also in a tie for sixth in boys 13-14 with his four-under 67 which he assembled with four birdies and an eagle on his last 11 holes at Morgan Run Resort.

Saso, the newest member of Team ICTSI, and Constantino played the Country Club of Rancho Bernardino with 71s and were also in a six-way bunch at sixth.

Ilas started birdie-birdie and could have done better if not for a lot of missed birdie opportunities that she set up with her awesome power off the tee and superb iron play. She starts the second round Wednesday only four off California native Yealimi Noh who fired a 66.

National team standout Legaspi made six birdies against four bogeys to trail the joint leaders by two in what is shaping up to be a wild chase for the top plum. Two other Pinoy bets were within four strokes or less off the pace with Daniella Uy carding a 71 for joint 12th and top ICTSI bet Princess Superal matching par 72 after bungling her own birdie chances coming home to be in the group at 18th place.

Zaragosa groped for form all day, fumbling with two double bogeys and three bogeys against a lone birdie on the fifth. He was tied for 100th among 209 entries. 

Pauline del Rosario was far behind in the 15-17 chase after soaring to a 76 that left her in a tie for 53rd and so did Sean Granada (64, tied for 20th) in boys 9-10 and girls 9-10 bets Annyka Cayabyab and Burbery Zhang who could do no better than a 59 at Lomas Santa Fe executive and finished the day staring at an imposing eight-stroke deficit.