Chan catches Kim; Del Rosario ties Superal

CAVINTI, Laguna, Philippines — Rookie Aidric Chan crafted a second straight two-under 70 to catch Tae Soo Kim at the helm midway through the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club here yesterday.

Chan, back to his old putter, went on a birdie spree from No. 12 to overcome a two-bogey miscue and find himself sharing the spotlight in a power-packed field.

“I used a new putter in Davao and it helped in the first two weeks. But unfortunately, I wasn’t stroking the ball well in the next two weeks, so I went back to my old putter,” said Chan, whose four-under 140 total put him in step with the young Korean.

After a solid 66 Tuesday, Kim faced challenges with his driver in hot, windy conditions, leading to a 74 and a tie with Chan, to set the stage for a pivotal third-round battle.

“I hit a lot of bad drives at the front nine and I wasn’t able to scramble at all, so I made three bogeys,” said Kim.

But the leaderboard is tightly packed with Clyde Mondilla (71), Keanu Jahns (71), Dino Villanueva (74) and Min Hyeok Yu, who fired the day’s best 68, all pooling 141s, and Angelo Que, eyeing his first PGT title in five years, also staying within striking distance at 142 despite a 73.

Jay Bayron, also seeking an end to a long title drought in the circuit sponsored by ICTSI, shot a 69 to tie defending champion Tony Lascuña, who turned in a 71, Sean Ramos, who struggled with a 74, and Rupert Zaragosa, who rallied with a 70, for eighth spot with 143s, just three strokes off the pace.

Meanwhile, Pauline del Rosario birdied No. 18 from 14 feet to shoot a 69 then watched Princess Superal hole out with a bogey for a 71 in a separate flight in a crucial two-shot swing that set up a compelling showdown between the two.

Del Rosario’s strong finish coupled with Superal’s shaky windup on a muffed par putt from 10 feet revived their long-standing rivalry from their junior golf days. They matched 142s to seize a three-stroke lead over Harmie Constantino, who assembled a 145 after a 73, in the P1 million, 54-hole championship.

But no lead is safe at the challenging Caliraya Springs Golf Club with former champion Chanelle Avaricio, who carded a second 73, and last year’s Match Play winner Mikha Fortuna, who charged back with a 71, tied for fourth at 146.