Lua, Carpio grab division set pace at Summit Point
Julia Lua of La Salle-1 and Emilio Carpio of UP-1 navigated the rain-softened Summit Point layout in Batangas well on Wednesday, zooming to the lead in their respective divisions, which also helped their sides to positions to win the team event.
Lua returned an 11-over-par 83 over a course that played much longer, taking an eight-shot lead over St. Benilde-1’s Natasha Bantug going into the final round on Thursday, even as Carpio fired a 72 to lead Sean Granada, also of CSB-1, by a shot.
“It feels surreal—I honestly didn’t expect to play this well,” said Carpio, who rebounded with a strong back nine for the round of the day.
Lua’s La Salle-1 squad leads the team race with an opening 179, counting Janine Yusay’s 94, with UP-1 26 shots behind after 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).
“It’s a long and challenging layout,” Lua said when asked of the ballooning scorer. “A lot of bunkers protect the fairways, so you have to be very precise.”
Team race leader
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.
UP-1 surged 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.
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,” said Carpio. “The key is not doubting myself. I stuck to my routine today, made good saves and took advantage of scoring chances.”
