Agojo up by 3 over fancied foes

BACOLOD, Philippines  – Jayvie Agojo, still in search of a first win on her comeback trail, fired 56 points under the Molave scoring system and wrested a three-point lead over reigning Philippine Ladies Amateur Open champion Chihiro Ikeda and Sarah Ababa at the start of the Southern Ladies golf tournament at the Binitin course of the Bacolod Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Agojo knocked down three birdies inside eight feet on Nos. 1, 2 and 18 to negate a three-putt bogey mishap on No. 3 as she showed up Ikeda and Ababa with a solid two-under par 68 in stroke play to pace the 54-hole tournament organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.

“I’m happy to be in the lead. I haven’t been winning lately so I hope to keep this up in the next two days,” said Agojo, who swept three major titles, including the Philippine Ladies Open, to highlight a banner year in 2005.

But the former Pepperdine University standout, trying to nail the big one coming off a long layoff due to motherhood, knows it will take a lot of hard work and solid shot-making in the next 36 holes to pocket her dream victory.

“I just have to maintain a one- or two-under card to win here. But it will be tough, it was kind of easy today because the wind hardly blew,” said Agojo, who also won this event and the DHL Open title in 2005.

There are also a slew of rivals to thwart off.

Ikeda, for one, is tipped to bounce back after a one-over 71 opener worth 53 points, the same output put in by reigning Malaysian Junior Open champion Ababa while Andie Unson, the low amateur in last week’s The Country Club Invitational, carded a two-over 72 and stood four points behind with 52 in a tie with Lovelynn Guioguio.

Dottie Ardina, who nipped Ikeda with a final hole birdie to win last year’s crown in Iloilo, groped for form despite the absence of the wind at the tree-lined, par-70 layout, hobbling with 50 points, four-over par 74 in stroke play in the tournament backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Kaiser International, Directories Phils. Corp (DPC) Yellow Pages, Hans Brumann Jeweler, WWWExpress, DHL Express and Business Inn, the official hotel.

Sunshine Baraquiel also scored 50 points.

 while Kristine Leonen and Pamela Mariano turned in identical 48 points. Cara Golez had 47 points and Eva Minoza and Gaby Monfort carded a 46 and a 42, respectively.

Meanwhile, Arianne Salvador paced Class B with 44 points while Ana Luisa Mendoza shot 37 points to lead in Class C.