Van der Valk sustains drive, hikes lead to 2

CLARK Freeport Zone, Philippines — Guido van der Valk lived through a tricky backside test of will and character to churn out a plucky 68 yesterday and take a step closer to wrapping up the Philippine Golf Tour season the way he had unfolded it.

And on a course that could yield birdies on any given hole, Van der Valk hardly found the need to go for one down the stretch as he parred the last seven to piece a pair of 34s and found himself hiking his two-day, one-stroke lead to two heading to the final 18 holes of the ICTSI Mimosa Plus Championship at the Acacia course here.

Dropping to a tie with a hot-starting Michael Bibat in the early going and yielding the lead to Jhonnel Ababa midway through, the Dutchman regained control with back-to-back birdies from No. 10 and held sway at 16-under 200 through a run of pars as Bibat hobbled with a double-bogey on No. 15 and Ababa slowed down with a backside 37 after an eagle-laced 32.

Bibat birdied the par-5 16th for the third straight day and matched Van der Valk’s four-under card as he remained two shots adrift of the three-day leader at 202 in a tie with Ababa, who made a 69, and Dino Villanueva, who gained in moving day with a 66 and moved from four back at fifth to within two at joint second.

Keanu Jahns birdied three of the last four holes coming off back-to-back miscues as he equaled Ababa’s course mark of 65 to seize solo fifth at 203.