Luis Castro turned in a second straight 71 and padded his lead to eight even as Harmie Constantino battled back from three down to seize control in girls’ play with a 73 halfway through the Philippine Junior Amateur Golf Championship at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martires, Cavite yesterday.

While his rivals continued to struggle at the challenging par-72 layout, Castro sustained his form, bucking an early two-bogey mishap with back-to-back birdies from No. 7 and rebounding from another bogey miscue on the 11th with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

With a 142 aggregate, Castro took a whopping eight-stroke bulge over Ramos, who recovered from an opening 77 with a 73 but still stood too far behind at 150.

Carl Corpus, who started the round just three shots off Castro, failed to keep a par-game stint after seven holes, bogeying two of the next three and limping with a backside 40 for a 78 and a 152.

Paolo Wong fumbled with an opening 41 and saved an even-par backside for a 77 and a 154 while Riggs Illescas also matched par at the back but finished with a 78 for a 159 in the 72-hole tournament sponsored by MVP Sports Foundation and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.

But while Castro, a 17-year-old rising star from Learning Links Academy, poised himself for a big windup in the boys’ division, a tight finish loomed in the distaff side of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Constantino, runner-up here last year and winner of this year’s WExpress RVF Cup in Canlubang, birdied the par-5 15th and salvaged a 73, overhauling a three-stroke deficit for a one-shot lead at 148 with 36 holes left to play.

Junia Gabasa, who showed up the field with a 72 Tuesday, lost her rhythm and faltered with six bogeys against one birdie, her 77 dropping her to second at 149 while Nicole Abelar also stayed in the hunt at 152 after a 75.

Sofia Legaspi wavered at the finish and closed out with a 40 and a 77 and fell eight shots behind Constantino at 156 while young Laurea Duque carded a 79 and tied Kristine Fleetwood, who made an 81, at fifth at 161.

Meanwhile, Aniceto Mandanas also pulled away in the Special Division (18-and-above) with a 158 total after an 80, 19 strokes ahead of Aldo Barro, who had a 177 after a 90 while Korean Sung Yeon Soo turned in a 96 for a 189.

Hyun Jung Jae shot a 77 to take control in the 12-and-under category, way ahead of Zach Blanco and Jeong Yeaheun, who both carded 91s.