Alido, Lee fire 69s, keep Del Monte lead

MANOLO Fortich, Bukidnon  , Philippines  —  Young guns Ira Alido and Lee Song matched their outputs for the second straight day – a pair of 69s built around blistering starts on opposite nines that kept them at the helm halfway through the P3 million ICTSI Del Monte Championship here yesterday.

From the backside, Lee gunned down three birdies in the last five holes, added another on No. 5 from close range but missed grabbing the solo lead with a bogey on the par-4 No. 8 for a 36-33 card. Alido also hit three birdies in a solid frontside stint but unlike Lee, the rising Filipino star needed to birdie the last to negate a bogey on No. 17 and preserve a 33-36 round at the Del Monte Golf Club.

With 137s, Lee and Alido, who shot identical 68s Wednesday, stood a stroke ahead of new pursuer Nicolas Paez of the US, who highlighted his tournament-best 67 with an eagle on No. 14, and James Ryan Lam, who turned in a 69 for 138s while Tony Lascuña lay another shot back at 139 after a 68.

Alido actually blew a couple of eagle chances, including on No. 6 from 15 feet on a superb 4-iron second shot from 230 years and on the 18th from 30 feet out.

“I could’ve taken the lead had I made those eagles,” said Alido. “I failed to read clearly my lines of putt on those holes.”

But he’s unmistakably in the hunt for a crack at a maiden crown although with a slew of aces just a stroke or two adrift, the 17-year-old shotmaker will have a lot of toughening up to do in the last 36 holes to achieve a dream championship so early in his career.

Lee, in contrast, banked on his superb iron play to stay in joint command, sinking four birdies inside four feet against a missed green bogey on the eighth.

“I played relatively good, especially my short game and putting,” said the 19-year-old Lee, who will be as much tested as Alido in the featured threesome, with Lam, in the pivotal third round today.

Jobim Carlos likewise kept his back-to-back Philippine Golf Tour title drive going, firing a 69 to lead the 140 group that includes Michael Bibat, erstwhile joint leader Lexus Keoninh of the US, Dutch Guido Van der Valk and Korean Kim Joo Hyung.