Arevalo cracks solid 65, nears Epson Tour breakthrough

MANILA, Philippines -- Abby Arevalo exploded with a blistering 65 so solid it thrust her into the lead of the Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic and earned her a clear stab at a breakthrough Epson Tour victory in Alabama Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

Riding the crest of a bogey-free backside 33 that saved her a 70 Friday, the 24-year-old Filipina shotmaker mastered the Ol’ Colony layout’s surface with a sterling 23-putt performance, leading to seven birdies and a 31-34 for a 36-hole aggregate of nine-under 135.

She tied compatriot Clariss Guce and Mexican Isabella Fierro at the top while four others matched 136s, including Americans Karen Chung, Maddie McClary and Laura Wearn and Chinese-Taipei’s Cheng Ssu-Chia, ensuring a wild final round chase for top honors in the 54-hole, season-ending $200,000 tournament of the LPGA Tour’s farm league.

Guce, chasing a third Epson Tour title, endured a bogey-bogey start as she strung up seven birdies in the next nine holes, marked by three back-to-back feats from Nos. 3, 6 and 10. She then rebounded from a missed green mishap on the par-3 17th with a birdie to turn in a 33-34.

Fierro, on the other hand, picked up her game a little bit late, birdying four of the last five to likewise post a bogey-free card of 66 after going 13-of-14 off the mound and missing just one green. She finished with 29 putts.But the day belonged to the ICTSI-backed Arevalo, who, like Fierro, settled for an early run of pars at the back before roaring into strong contention.

From joint 14th after 18 holes, the former Cactus Tour winner flaunted her awesome power and birdied the last three long holes while coming through with superb iron play to likewise birdie the last three short holes.

After gaining a stroke on the par-5 No. 14, she birdied the par-3 17th then tamed the par-4 No. 2, the par-5 next and the par-3 fourth hole. Brimming with confidence, she birdied the seventh, another par-5, then struck another key iron shot to net another stroke on the par-3 eighth.

Arevalo, who missed the cut in the last two tournaments, missed just two fairways and though she went out of regulation six times, she made up for the struggle with a 23-putt showing.

But to