Carlos wrests lead; Superal, Del Rosario joint leaders with 68s

MANILA, Philippines - Jobim Carlos recovered from a bogey on the 17th with a birdie on the final hole, finishing with a three-under 69 and grabbing a one-shot lead from erstwhile leader Jelbert Gamolo in the second round of the Canlubang Amateur Open at the South Course of the Canlubang golf complex in Laguna yesterday.

Carlos actually failed to shake off Gamolo in the early going and leaned on back-to-back birdies from No. 14 to finally seize control only to reel back with a missed green bogey on the tough par-3 17th.

But the fancied 22-year-old shotmaker struck back on the par-5 finishing hole and found himself on top of the heap at 139, counting his opening 70.

Gamolo went 2-up with a birdie opening but missed a couple of birdie chances in the next eight holes, enabling Carlos, who birdied No. 7, to stay within a shot heading to the tougher backside.

But after the duo traded pars in the first four holes, Carlos came through with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 with the Del Monte bet settling for pars the rest of the way for a 140 after a 71.

Meanwhile, former US Girls Junior champion Princess Superal played true to form and fired a four-under 68, tying defending champion and The Country Club teammate Pauline del Rosario in the lead in the ladies division.

Superal and Del Rosario turned in contrasting rounds to zoom ahead, with the former banking on a fiery windup of 33 and the latter blowing a solid 32 start with a so-so 36.

Yuka Saso of Southwoods lurked behind with a 69, the same output put in by Sam Martirez, also of TCC, and Riviera’s Euna Koh, setting the stage for a shootout in the final 18 holes of the event.

Riviera’s Ira Alido put on a strong finishing kick of three birdies to card a 70 and move up to third at 142, just three shots off Carlos with 18 holes to play in this 15th staging of the event conducted and organized by Cangolf as part of its commitment to help promote and develop amateur golf.

Jungolfer Luis Castro, who impressed a lot by matching Carlos’ opening 70, sputtered at the back with a 39 and hobbled with a 75 to drop to fourth at 145 while Southwoods Japanese bet Yuto Katsuragawa turned in a 74 and stood at 147.

Korean Park Min Ung of Riviera, the defending back-to-back winner of this annual event featuring the country’s leading players and aces of the various clubs, failed to make his move and limped with a bogey-ridded 77, virtually kissing his three-peat goodbye with a 150, 11 strokes adrift.

Royal Northwoods’ Carlos Gaymaytan rebounded with a 74 after a 76 to join Park sixth while Eagle Ridge’s Kim In Jae shot a 73 to tie Riviera’s Jun John, who made a 75, at 151.