RUPERT Zaragosa and Gabriel Manotoc matched par 72 to share the top spot after the first round of the NGAP’s Philippine Junior Amateur Closed Championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation on Thursday at Sherwood Hills in Trece Martirez, Cavite.
Top candidates for the Philippine Junior Putra Cup team later this month, Zaragosa and Manotoc were four strokes ahead of AR Ramos and Jelbert Gamolo. Justin Quiban and Ryu Yasuma both scored 78.
Manotoc had four birdies against the same number of bogeys.
Zaragosa, who had already won both the men’s and junior’s national match play titles, had three birdies, a double bogey and a bogey.
Basti Lorenzo struggled, shooting an 81 marred by an opening quadruple bogey 8 before stumbling with a triple on the short par-5 No. 15.
In the girls’ 17-under division, Daniela Uy, Pauleen Del Rosario and Chanelle Avaricio scored 74s to share the top of the leaderboard, just a stroke ahead of the rest of the field in the event backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot, Nike, Pacsports and Microtel Eagle Ridge.
The layout is the official home of the NGAP and is being readied for the Putra Cup.