Girl power

LIPA, Batangas — In a display of grit, precision and resilience under challenging conditions, La Salle-1 Julia Lua and University of the Philippines (UP)-1 bet Emilio Carpio rose above the field to take contrasting leads in their respective divisions, setting the stage for a potential sweep of the inaugural ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour Wednesday at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club here.

Battling a rain-softened course stretched by days of unrelenting downpour brought on by Typhoon “Nando,” Lua showed nerves of steel, grinding out an 85 to grab a commanding eight-shot lead in the women’s individual play. She leads College of St. Benilde (CSB)-1’s Natastha Bantug (93) heading into Thursday’s final round of the 36-hole event.

Lua’s La Salle-1 team also dominated the team standings, pooling a 179 aggregate behind Janine Yusay’s 94. With teammate Stacey Chan’s 96 not even counting in the three-to-play, two-to-count format, La Salle-1 stormed to a 26-shot lead over UP-1 (205), powered by Addie Manhit’s 96 and Katrisse Datoc’s 109. La Salle-3 stood at third with a 206 on rounds of 101 (Nicole Tan) and 105 (Madeleine Valderrama).

“Accuracy is everything on this course, and I relied on my woods and irons to keep me in play,” said Lua, who previously topped the opening leg of the four-round eliminations of the Tour co-developed by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation at Royal Northwoods.

“I didn’t expect to take the lead this early, but I knew I could be on the podium. I just want to do my best to get there,” she added.

Lua credited La Salle’s familiarity with the championship layout, where each hole replicates a famous hole from iconic golf courses around the world.

“The key was knowing the course — we practice here a lot,” said Lua. “That helped me figure out where to aim and where the misses should be.”

“But it’s a long and challenging layout. A lot of bunkers protect the fairways, so you have to be very precise,” she added.

With a sizeable cushion, Lua hinted at playing conservatively in the final round while banking on her local course knowledge.

Unlike Lua’s runaway lead, the men’s division is shaping up for a dramatic conclusion.

Carpio carded a composed even-par 72, highlighted by a strong backside 34 and clutch birdies on Nos. 10 and 12. That late surge pushed him one stroke clear of Sean Granada of CSB-1, who bogeyed the final hole after flubbing a par-saving putt from six feet, finishing with a 73.

“It feels surreal — I honestly didn’t expect to play this well,” said Carpio, who rebounded from front-nine miscues on Nos. 7 and 9 with a precise approach game on the back.

“My approach shots were key today. I hit it to 12 feet on 10 and even closer on 12. That made the difference,” said Carpio.

Despite the lead, the UP standout remains cautious heading into Thursday’s finale.

“There’s still 18 holes to go, so I need to settle myself, get good rest tonight, and stay mentally focused,” he said. “The key is not doubting myself. I stuck to my routine today, made good saves, and took advantage of scoring chances.”

La Salle-1’s Zachary Castro and Miguel Fusilero both turned in 75s to tie for third, while Ranz Balay-odao (University of the Cordilleras) and UP-1’s Miggy Roque fired matching 76s.

Roque nearly forced a three-way tie for the lead after birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 but stumbled with a costly triple bogey on the 18th, finishing at four-over.

Still, Roque’s score helped UP-1 surge ahead in team play with a 148, two shots ahead of La Salle-1 (150). CSB-1 remains within striking distance at 154, bolstered by David Guangko’s 81.

Granada, the Splendido Taal leg champion, blamed his mental lapse for the closing-hole slip.

“Mental block--I missed the chip,” he said. “But I’ll bounce back tomorrow.”

Despite the setback, Granada found positives in his round.

“My second shots got me close enough to two-putt. That helped keep my round together.”