LUBAO, Pampanga—Former world junior golf champion Rupert Zaragosa matched par-72, Taipei Universiade campaigner Jonas Christian Magcalayo struggled with a 76 and Lanz William Uy had a 77 on another testy day for the Filipinos in the 2018 FISU World University Golf Championship at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club here Thursday.
Zaragosa, who is best remembered for leading Lyceum of the Philippines to three straight national inter-collegiate championships, birdied the par-5, 502-meter 18th hole for a 72.
Together with his opening-day 77, the 5’2” Zaragosa had a two-day score of five-over par 149 in the tournament organized by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines and supported by the International Sports University Federation.
That’s 10 shots behind two-day leader Henry Tschopp of Swirzerland, who carded a one-under-71, and nine strokes behind the Jaoanese pair of Daiki Imano, who fired a 68, and Taisei Shimizu, who hit a 71.
The two other Filipinos also had sad stories to tell on a hot and humid afternoon at the well-designed, par-72 course North of Manila.
Magcalayo, the best-placed Filipino player after the first round Wednesday, lost his focus with three birdies and seven bogeys for a 76, while Uy had only one birdie and six bogeys in nines of 39-38 for a 77.
“I played bad today with some bad decisions on the course. I did my best to lessen the damage done with my score. Hopefully, I can recover,” said Magcalayo.
Magcalayo, the 21-year-old engineering student of Mapua, had a two-day score of 147 for a tie for 16th place.
Yu, a mainstay of Technological University of the Philippines, had 153 for 27th place in the 36-player, 21-nation tournament.
As the Filipinos struggled, Tschopp went under par for the second straight day with Swiss-like precision.
Tschopp, an incoming freshman student at the Western Texas College, birdied three of the first holes for a second under-par score.
“I was not expecting to be the leader after the second round because there was a Japanese player playing with four under. I was expecting to be one or two shots behind but now I am one shot ahead,” said Tschopp.
The day’s best score of 68 came from Imano.
The 21-year-old member of the Japanese national team spiked his round with six birdies, including three of the first six holes on the frontnine.
His two-day 140 was good for a tie for second to third places with compatriot Imano going into Friday’s third round.
Shimizu, who played for the Manila Southwoods at the 71st PAL Interclub in Bacolod last March, capped his 71-round with , six birdies to negate his five bogeys.
Hei Nam Isabella Leung of Hong Kong fired a 71 to keep the solo lead in the women’s division with 144.
Charlotte Lafourcade of France and Dasom Ma of South Korea shared second to third places with 145 total.
Annika Guangko and Denize Pineda of Philippines remained too far behind in the overall standings.
Guangko was at 28th place with 175, while Pineda was at 30th place with 195.
In the team event, Japan led the way with 279, followed by Switzerland with 284 and Hong Kong with 286.
The tournament is backed by the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Pradera Verde, Arena Lux Enterprise, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Seascape Village and Aurora Securities, Inc.
