Jolo Magcalayo cruises to record romp; Junia Gabasa wins

CANLUBANG, Philippines — Jolo Magcalayo groped for form in windy conditions but still coasted to a record 11-stroke victory with a third straight 71 while Junia Gabasa survived a late meltdown and Rianne Malixi’s charge to clinch the women’s title in the W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf’s North course here yesterday.

Magcalayo, who all but wrapped up the men’s crown with a big nine-shot lead after 54 holes, gunned down two birdies against a bogey and went for regulation pars when his game began to sputter in tough conditions to complete his dominant run boosted by a solid opening 65.

“I struggled with my shots that’s why I’m quite disappointed since I wasn’t able to do my game plan,” said Magcalayo, a Grade 10 student at De La Salle-Zobel, whose 10-under 278 total and 11-shot romp over Kristoffer Arevalo and Paqo Barro nearly tripled the four-shot win by Korean Kim Joo Hyung over Aniceto Mandanas last year. “Perhaps, it’s because of the wind and I didn’t putt quite well unlike in the first round.”

Arevalo shot the day’s best six-under 66, spiked by an eagle on No. 14 for a closing 31 for joint runner-up at 289 with Barro, who birdied three of the last five holes to finish with a 68.

Gabasa, on the other hand, nearly squandered a five-shot lead with eight holes to go, needing to match Malixi’s par on the final hole to save a 74 and a one-shot win at 296 in women’s play of the 24th staging of the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and held in honor of the late NGAP president and golf patron Rod V. Feliciano.