ANTIPOLO CITY – Reymon Jaraula shouldered himself past erstwhile joint leaders Ira Alido and Angelo Que with a rare two-eagle feat for a brilliant 66 but had to endure a two hour-long wait before formally claiming a two-stroke lead over Alido midway through the ICTSI Valley Golf Challenge Wednesday, June 7 here.
Lightning just past noon forced the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. to suspend play, minutes after Jaraula had turned in a near-flawless 32-34 card marked by eagles on Nos. 7 and 17, and moments after Alido and Que took different routes following a spirited battle of shotmaking, putting and poise to stay at the helm for the second straight day.
Nobody did.
Jaraula assembled a 9-under135 largely behind a sterling round he laced with three birdies that buried a lone mishap on No. 18 and despite dealing with his putting stroke early on.
Alido did knock a third straight birdie at the resumption of play but gave up the stroke on the par-3 No. 8 and finished with a 69 for a 137 although the next two pursuers lay five strokes off the new leader heading to the last 36 holes of the P2 million championship.
Korean Chon Koo Kang missed closing in on Jaraula with two bogeys in the last four holes as he ended up with a 71 for joint third at 140 with Tony Lascuna, who put in a second straight 70, while Que, who had an even-par card with three holes to play, holed out with a bogey on the ninth and slipped farther back to joint fifth at 141 after a 73.
Joining him at three-under overall are Zanieboy Gialon, who matched par 72, and Korean Min Seong Kim, who fired a 69, and Japanese Atsushi Ueda, who blew a three-under card with a double-bogey on No. 15 and wrapped up his round with three straight pars for a 71.
Clyde Mondilla also made his move right before the suspension, overcoming bogeys on Nos. 5 and 6 with an eagle on the next on his way to a 69 after a 73 for a 142 in a tie with Philippine Masters champion Jhonnel Ababa, who carded a second 71, and Japanese Gen Nagai, who parred the last three holes at the back to complete a 70.
Lloyd Go, meanwhile, rebounded with a 69 to join six others at 12th at 143, including Fidel Concepcion, Keanu Jahns and Rico Depilo, who matched 70s, Korean Hyun Ho Rho and Dutch Guido van der Valk, who carded identical 71s, and Gabriel Manotoc, who birdied the last hole to save a 73 after a 70.
