Rates hangs on as Van der Valk, Jahns make move

Fumbling with a bogey-marred frontside finish that enabled two strong rivals to pull within, Joenard Rates kept his cool in tepid conditions and birdied the last two holes to rescue a 71 but he barely held on to a one-stroke lead over a fast-charging Guido van der Valk halfway through the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters at the Villamor Golf Club yesterday.

That he did it while trying to withstand the pressure to deliver in the face of van der Valk and Keanu Jahns' strong charges in separate flights spoke well of the caliber of the player who pounded the flat but tricky layout with a 65 Wednesday but had appeared to have cracked with three bogeys in the first five holes at the front after a backside 34 start.