MANILA, Philippines - Abegail Arevalo sputtered with a three-over 75 in tough condition but grabbed a share of the lead just the same as erstwhile solo leader Ida Ayu Indira fumbled with a 76 in the second round of the Pondok Indah International Junior golf tournament in Jakarta late Wednesday.
Arevalo, who shot an eagle-spiked 72 in the opener to trail Indira by one, hit just one birdie against four bogeys at the demanding Pondok Indah Golf Course for that 75 as the top ICTSI-backed bet joined the local ace at 147 heading to the final 18 holes of the tournament.
Sam Martinez also wavered with a 75 but stood a shot behind at 148, guaranteeing a fierce battle in the final round of the premier 15-18 division.
But focus will also be on fancied Princess Superal, who skied with an uncharacteristic 78 Tuesday but fought back with the day’s best even par 72 as the reigning US Girls Juniors champion and last week’s runaway winner of the SICC Singapore Juniors moved within three at 150.
Sofia Chabon, meanwhile, reeled back in the 13-14 class as she struggled with a 77 after a 73 and fell behind by five to Malaysian Ashley Lau, who carded a 73 for a 145.
Yuka Saso also bowed out of contention with an awful 88 for a 164.