CANLUBANG: Artemio Murakami turned a little bit cold on the greens after a sizzling, record-setting 64 Wednesday, settling for an even par 72 yesterday and moving closer to snapping a long title drought with a three-stroke lead over Japanese Tomokazu Yoshinaga in the BDO Canlubang Golf Invitational at Cangolf’s south course here yesterday.
Unlike in the first round where he tamed the backside with a rare 29, spiked by seven straight birdies from No. 11 in a late flight, Murakami bogeyed two of the first three holes despite teeing off early, finishing with three birdies against one more bogey on No. 14 to salvage 35-37 card.
But that proved enough to keep him on top of the P1 million event sponsored by Banco De Oro with an eight-under 136 total and 18 holes away from recording his first victory since winning the all-Filipino Philippine Open at Valley last December.
“I struggled with my putting,” said Murakami, who three-putted No. 10, failed to return a pair of seven footers for par on Nos. 12 and 14 and flubbed at least four makeable birdie putts in sweltering heat.
With erstwhile pursuer Anthony Fernando fumbling with a closing 40 at the front for a 75, the unfancied Yoshinaga took over the challenger’s role by firing a five-under 67, boosted by a brilliant, bogey-free 31 at the front.
Yoshinaga, who earned a local tour card by making it to the top 10 in this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour qualifying, birdied Nos. 2. 5, 6, 8 and 9 in close range, bogeyed the tough No. 10 but birdied the next to preserve a five-under card for a 36-hole aggregate of 139 and a spot in the championship flight with the Fil-Japanese shotmaker and unheralded Terence Macatangay.
Macatangay eagled the par-5 11th and hit four birdies against four bogeys for a 70 as he took solo third at 141 for a rare crack at glory worth P200,000.
Fernando, who opened with a 67, stayed in the hunt with a 35 at the back but faltered with two three-putt bogeys on Nos. 2 and 6 and failed to rescue a pair of pars from the bunkers on Nos. 4 and 7 for a 40 and a 75. He tumbled to joint fourth at 142, six strokes behind.
Jerson Balasabas, who was awesome with a 68 in the first round, hobbled with a 74 to join Fernando in fourth with Richard Sinfuego (73), Richard Abaring (71) and Arnold Villacencio, who also eagled No. 11 but failed to preserve a bogey-free round with a bogey on No. 7 on his way home. He shot a 68.
Jhonnel Ababa rebounded from an awful 77 with a 69 but still stood too far behind Murakami at 147 while Mhark Fernando improved with a 69 after a 74 for a 143 in a tie with Ferdie Aunzo, who had a 71.
