RP bets hold their own against region's best in opener of Asian amateur golf

 source: gmanews.tv


The Philippines’ Mhark Fernando, Jude Estaquiao and Antonio Asistio II made good impressions against the region’s top amateurs in the first round of the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship in Southern China.

Fernando, the reigning national amateur champion, churned out a five-under-par 67 at the Mission Hills Golf Club’s World Cup course. He made a string of three birdies from No. 6 and a total of six in 11 holes to be in contention for the title.


Three better than Fernando was overall leader Chinese Han Ren’s eight-under-par 64. Also at stake to the winner is an invitation to the 2010 US Masters and in the International Final Qualifying for the British Open Championship at St Andrews.

US-based Eustaquio, who fell short of his bid to join the SEA Games-bound national team last week, also made a good impression, firing a four-under 68 on a five-birdie, one-bogey effort for a share of fourth with New Zealand’s Jordan Sherratt.

Asistio, the top ICTSI golf team bet who with Fernando will spearhead the country’s campaign in the Laos SEAG next month, actually came through with two eagles and two birdies but stumbled with three bogeys for a 35-34 round. He stood in joint sixth with a 69.

The long-hitting Asistio opened his bid with a bogey but recovered with an eagle on the par-5 No. 2 but missed a couple of birdie chances in the next seven holes for a 35. He dropped another shot on the 10th but eagled the par-5 11th then birdied Nos. 12 and 15 before bogeying the tough 17th.

The three other Filipinos invited to the 72-hole event – ICTSI’s Dante Becierra and Peter Villaber and Calatagan’s Jhonnel Ababa – all carded 73s and would need to shoot low rounds to stay in contention for top honors.

One hundred sixteen players from 30 Asia Pacific Golf Confederation member countries are competing in the first Asian Amateur Championship, being played approximately 90 minutes north of Hong Kong.