MANILA, Philippines - New recruit Rupert Zaragosa quickly got down to serious business with a tournament record 10-under-par 62 spiced by a hole-in-one and two eagles to lead Lyceum of the Philippines-Cavite to a 24-point lead at the start of senior division play in the ICTSI-JGFP Interschool golf championship at the Ayala Greenfield Estates and Leisure Club in Calamba, Laguna.
Zaragosa, the country’s top junior, simply overpowered the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed course from the tees a lot shorter than what he’s usually playing with a round equivalent to 64 points in the Molave system of scoring as he joined hands with Gelbert Gamolo (53) and Janzen Morilla (47) to collect 164 points for Lyceum and scamper away from traditional powerhouses La Salle-Taft, College of St. Benilde and Ateneo.
Zaragosa’s mind-boggling round which included an ace on the 11th hole was so far the lowest round ever made in the young history of the Interschool series – and probably in the entire history of jungolf competitions – which is backed by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. in collaboration with the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines. He was only at one under 35 at the turn but exploded with two eagles on the 10th and 13th and three birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th coming home.
David Guangko scored 41 and Miguel Ilas added 40 as La Salle Greenhills aggregated 81 at the Valley Golf and Country Club north course to take the early lead in the Midgets 2 division of the tourney also backed by the Philippine Golf Foundation, Martin Lorenzo, Golf Depot and Inquirer Golf.
The Greenies opened up a 12-point lead over Ateneo who totalled 69 on the 38 of Miguel Roque and 31 of Leonid Rico. La Salle Greenhills was at 68 and Ateneo at 56.
Zaragosa and Leandro Bagtas of MSHK vaulted ahead in the individual race with Zaragosa up by 10 over Miggy Yee of La Salle with teammate Gamolo in third. The Girls 1, 2 and 3 return to action for their second rounds today at Eastridge while the juniors play at Valley.
Yee failed to stop the Lyceum rampage despite his respectable 54 with the La Salle-Taft golfers needing to bounce back next time after a 140. College of St. Benilde had a 136 on the 49 of GJ Katigbak and 48 of Jae Min-koo while Ateneo was 10 points back at 126.