Yuto Katsuragawa bucked a bogey opening and a double-bogey finish with a cluster of birdies to fire a three-under 65 while partner Carl Corpus carded a 70 as they pooled a 135 in aggregate play to grab the lead in the second round of the NGAP National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC yesterday.
Counting their 66 in the four-ball Wednesday, Corpus and Katsuragawa assembled a 201 for a four-shot lead over Ryan Monsalve (74) and Lanz Uy (67), who combined for a 141 and a 205 heading to the final round of the 54-hole championship where play shifts to two-ball foursome in the event sponsored by the PLDT Group, the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.
Ira Alido and Paolo Wong, who sizzled with a 62 in the first round, struggled in the aggregate format with the former limping with a 74 and the latter carding a 73 for a 147. They slid to third at 209.
Gab Manotoc shot a 71 while Jelbert Gamolo hobbled with a 74 for a 145 and 210 for fourth and the Magcalayo brothers – Jolo (75) and Jonas (73) – assembled a 212 after a 148. Raymart Tolentino (74) and Carlo Villaroman (78) stood at 216 after a 152 in the tournament held as part of the National Amateur Golf Tour and hosted by CAGC.
Carlo Gatmaytan (73) and Tomi Arejola (78) carded a 151 for a 221 in a tie with the Paqo Barro (82)-Joseph Orbito (74) pair, who shot a 156, while Bianca Pagdanganan (74) and Diana Araneta (83) made 157 for a 222 followed by Harmie Constantino (74) and Gabriel Macalaguim (81), who had a 223 after a 155.
Katsuragawa, spearhead of Manila Southwoods in its various club title runs, including the recent Fil-Am Championship in Baguio, stumbled with a bogey on the first hole but fought back with birdies on Nos. 3 and 4. He dropped a shot on the sixth but birdied Nos. 8 and 9.
He sustained the momentum at the back and hit two more birdies on Nos. 10 and 12, dropped a shot on the next but recovered with birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 before holing out with a 7 after missing the green and three-putted.
