SEA Games veteran Sean Ramos and Gabby Macalaguim rode a strong start to post a seven-under 61 and go one up on Lanz Uy and Ryan Monsalve at the start of the National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club.
Ramos and Macalaguim birdied five of the first 10 holes then recovered from missteps on Nos. 11 and 13 with birdies in the last four to hold off an equally hot-starting Uy-Monsalve tandem under the four-ball format on Friday.0
Uy and Monsalve hit with five birdies in a solid stint after 12 holes but fumbled with a bogey on the par-3 16th, needing to birdie the last two to shoot a 62 and hound the Ramos-Macalaguim pair heading to today’s second round where play shifts to aggregate format.
Sunday’s final round will be two-ball foursomes (alternate shot).
While the other fancied pairs struggled in best-ball play, Aries Mata and Lawrence Celestino struck back from a frontside even-par game with five birdies against a bogey at the back of the 36-32 military layout, shooting a 64 for third while reigning Indonesian Amateur Open champion Luis Castro and Andres Lorenzo also rallied with a 29 to stay in the mix with 65.
Four other teams also churned out three-under cards, including Santino Diokno-Miguel Roque, Jonar Austria-Marco Olives, Gab Manotoc-Carlo Quimson, and Jed Dy-Mikha Fortuna, ensuring a spirited battle for top honors in the three-day event.
Young Rianne Malixi, eyeing a fourth championship in the season about to end, and Precious Zaragosa settled for a 66 while Menard Co and Roy Nodalo shot a 67 for joint 11th with Paolo Barro and Laia Barro and Samantha Martirez and Diana Araneta matched par 68s in a tie with the tandems of Josh Jorge-Santino Laurel, Rald Sarmiento-Masaichi Otake, Luigi Guerrero-Dan Cruz, and Tomita Arejola-Nicole Abelar.
In the Group II division, Sophia Blanco and Alexi Blanco shot a 67 to post a two-shot lead over Jona Magcalayo and Sunshine Zhang, who carded 69, with Larry Patnongon and Jaime Patnongon four strokes behind at 71.
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