Rates ties Gialon; Avaricio surges ahead

CAVINTI, Laguna, Philippines, April 21 ------ Joenard Rates stayed hot in sun and rain to match his opening solid 68 and catch an equally steady Zaniebiy Gialon halfway through the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship here yesterday.

Staying out of trouble on a course where dangers practically lurk in every corner, Rates shot a couple of birdies on each side of the Caliraya Springs Golf Club and gained a share of the lead at 136 and closer to another crack at a Philippine Golf Tour title. “I’m happy to be in contention going to moving day,” said Rates. “This round is super good. I hit some good drives and avoided troubles.”

Gialon also put in a bogey-free 69 as he continued to flash top form on an Arnold Palmer-designed course spruced up to championship condition for its initial hosting of a PGT event. “I had a good up-and-down game, especially at the back, and finished with a solid round,” said Gialon, who has never tasted victory since dominating the field in the ICTSI Calatagan in 2017.

Dutch Guido Van der Valk scorched the frontside to likewise churn out a four-under card. But he stood four strokes off the joint leaders at 140 in a tie with Clyde Mondilla. “I didn’t hit very well at the frontside (backnine) but at the back, I started to hit it very good,” said Van der Valk.

Meanwhile, Chanelle Avaricio surged ahead despite a 74, pouncing on Marvi Monsalve’s frontside meltdown and Chihiro Ikeda’s backside stumble to move closer to completing a back-to-back title romp on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour. Not even a three-bogey, one-birdie round in another challenging day could stymie Avaricio’s charge to the top at 145 after 36 holes as Monsalve shot herself in the foot with a horrible 85 on a frontside 43 after a lead-grabbing 69 Tuesday and Ikeda blew a three-under card and the lead after 11 holes with a double bogey on the 13th and a bogey on the next for a 73.

But Ikeda lay just a stroke off Avaricio at 146, which Daniella Uy matched with a gutsy 72, setting the stage for a three-way battle for top honors in the P750,000 championship. Harmie Constantino made a 75 for fourth at 151 but stood six shots off Avaricio.

Source: philstar.com