INQUIRER Sports

CHIHIRO IKEDA ASSEMBLED A one-under-par 71, equivalent to 55 Molave points, On Thursday to take a three-point lead after the opening round of the Southern Ladies Golf championship at the Sta. Barbara Golf Club in Iloilo.

The 18-year-old Southeast Asian Games champion went out with a 34 after birdies on the fourth and eighth but started the back with a three-putt bogey.

Dottie Ardina and former RP Ladies champ Anya Tanpinco salvaged a 74 each for 52 points and kept Ikeda within sight heading into the final two rounds.

Lovelyn Guioguio, runner-up to Cyna Rodriguez in the recent RP Ladies, scored a dismal 46 points and would need a big second round to blow back into contention.

Sun Choi scored 48, Daniela Uy had a 47 and Sheryl Villacencio a 46.

Ikeda?s start was reminiscent of her opening round in the recent RP Ladies at Southwoods, where she was the only player to crack par, before shooting a 73 and a 78 to finish third.

Teener Andie Unson turned in a 45 with Lucy Landicho of Canlubang returning a 44 for the other leading Championship Division scores.

Meanwhile, Sol Antonio of Villamor and Carmen Griño of Iloilo shot identical 39 Stableford points to share the lead in the seniors division.

Mencie Millonado of Wack Wack was third with 37 points.

In the team event, ICTSI II of Tanpinco, Ardina, Uy and Villacencio pooled 113 Stableford points to post a five-point lead over ICTSI I of Ikeda, Ababa, Unson and Choi (108).

In Class A, Millonado and Verginia Bote shared the lead with 36 Molave points, while Mabek Kawsek of Tagaytay Highlands made 31 points to post a one-point lead over Iloilo?s Hwang Hye Young in Class B.

Iloilo?s Marirose Cacho paced Class C with 27 points while Malarayat?s Surlianti Walker took the Class D lead with 30, one point ahead of Iloilo?s Nitz Goto.