Laurel, Batangas—Chonlada Chayanun birdied the last hole to card a three-under 69 and catch Hwang Min-jeong at the helm even as Princess Superal charged back at the finish to fire a 68 and pull within one after two rounds of the ICTSI Splendido Ladies Classic here yesterday.
Chayanun, out re-assert the Thais’ domination on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour after placing fourth in last week’s Beverly Place Classic, bucked a bogey start with a cluster of birdies, hitting five in a nine-hole stretch from No. 2 then holing out with another birdie from 10 feet on the 18th to cushion the impact of a bogey-bogey mishap from No. 12.
But her 33-36 card in windy condition proved enough to overhaul a three-stroke deficit for a shared view of the top at four-under 140 as Hwang struggled with a two-birdie, two-bogey effort for a 72 after a near-impeccable 68 Tuesday that netted her a huge lead in the early going of the P750,000 tournament serving as the fourth leg of the 2018-19 season of the circuit put up by ICTSI.
Looming large at 141, however, is Superal, who broke a run of pars with solid iron play that saw her birdie the frontside par-3s on Nos. 6 and 8. She then came out of a birdie-bogey game from No. 11 with a birdie on No. 15 before drilling in a 20-foot putt on the closing hole for a pair of 34s.
The reigning Order of Merit champion actually rued her day-long battle with a balky driver but relied on her 5-wood for fairway shots and steady putting to put her back in the thick of the fight for the top P150,000 purse in the 54-hole event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
“I couldn’t hit my driver the way I wanted to. But I hit solid fairway shots with my 5-wood and made even the long putts,” said Superal, who wavered with late bogeys that marred her opening 73 that dropped her five strokes off the Korean ace.
Chayanun fell farther back off Hwang with a bogey on the first hole but the 27-year-old Bangkok native rattled off birdies on Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 7 from close range, added another on the 10th but yielded strokes on Nos. 12 and 13. She, however, set up a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th and made it to gain a clear shot at the crown.
Despite her mediocre 72, Hwang remained confident of her chances but stressed the need to heed her caddie-father’s advise, particularly on the putting green.
“I couldn’t get the right reads and missed a lot of birdie chances. I could’ve posted an eight-under card. But it’s all my fault because I didn’t listen to my father,” said the 17-year-old Hwang, seeking to launch her pro career with a victory here at Splendido Taal Golf Club.
Another Thai Narisara Kerdrit blew a two-under card with a double-bogey on the 18th, settling for a 72 and a 147 and enabling compatriot Punpaka Phuntumabamrung to move to solo fourth at 146 after a 75, virtually reducing the title chase among Chayanun, Hwang and Superal.
Other 147 scorers were Marvi Monsalve, who matched par 72 to emerge the second best Filipina placer at joint fifth with Wad Phaewchimpee, who fumbled with a 74.
Thais Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro and Saraporn Chamchoi pooled identical 148s after a 76 and 77, respectively, while Korean Choeun Bang shot a 73 to tie amateur and Princess sister Eagle Ace and Thai Mookharin Ladgratok, who both skied to 77s for 149s.