Veterans Rosales, Delasin no strangers to winning
‘Big day for Filipinos’
By Inquirer Sports Staff
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:28:00 01/22/2008
Filed Under: Golf
MANILA, Philippines -- They had six victories between them, so they knew how to win.
Dorothy Delasin and Jennifer Rosales emphasized this fact Sunday as the two US LPGA regulars defied all odds and rewarded the Philippines with an unprecedented world championship in golf.
Pooling their talents to shoot a best-ball seven-under-par 65 in the final round, the former Philippine team partners, who turned pro at the same time in 2000, won the fourth edition of the Women’s World Cup of Golf by two strokes at the Gary Player Country Club course in Sun City in South Africa.
The homegrown Rosales birdied four times, two on each nine, and the Fil-Am Delasin matched that by closing her round with four straight birdies as they turned back South Korea’s Shin Ji-yai and Ji Eun-hee, who shot a 67.
Delasin, the 2000 LPGA Rookie of the Year who owns four victories as a pro, said the breakthrough win was a “big day for the Filipinos around the world” because “we’ve never won the World Cup, even on the men’s side.”
Rosales, a winner once during the 2004 and 2005 LPGA seasons, thanked the fans and her partner “for the wonderful golf she played,” although it was clear she more than did her part in the victory that brought the partnership the champion’s prize of $240,000.
“We hung in there, it was a team effort,” added Jennifer, who was plagued by injuries last season and earned only $30,564 after finishing just six of 16 tournaments she entered.
Delasin also had a miserable 2007. She made $138,615 after making the cut in 16 of 23 events, with her best finish a tie for 18th.
But the Filipinos, teaming up again after tying for second with another Korean tandem in the World Cup inaugural edition in 2005, played fantastic three rounds of golf which both said was a “great way to start the year.”
They started with a 65, added a 68 the next day to catch the Koreans (61-72) on top, then immediately took the lead in the final round as Rosales birdied the first and third holes.
But a three-stroke swing lifted the Koreans ahead on the par-5 fifth hole as Shin sank an eagle from 10 feet while Rosales’ bogey counted following a Delasin misadventure that resulted in an X (no score).
“I was all over the place,” recounted Dorothy. “I had to take an unplayable, then I chunked it into that waste area and found my ball in a heel print, and I was like ‘Are you kidding me?’”
But the Koreans couldn’t shake off the Filipinos.
“We had awesome pars on six, seven and nine,” said Delasin of the Filipinos’ gritty play from No. 5. “We could’ve bogeyed them just as easily but we saved par. Those are big.”
Then Rosales’ game picked up with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes that pulled the Filipinos abreast of the Koreans. After a Korean birdie on the 14th, Delasin took over with her decisive closing birdie spree.
The Koreans had a chance to forge a tie on the par 5 18th when Shin’s second shot, seemingly headed into the creek behind, hit a rock on the edge of the bank and bounced back toward the green about 30 feet from the hole.
Delasin was in deep rough after a wild drive but she managed to play out, then found the green with her third shot, some 15 feet away.
When Shin’s eagle putt slid by the hole and the Korean settled for a birdie, Dorothy matched that bird by sinking her putt.
“Korea played really well, but we weren’t going to go down without a fight,” said Rosales.
The final standings and prize money:
198 -- Philippines (Jennifer Rosales, Dorothy Delasin) 65-68-65, $240,000
200 -- South Korea (Ji Eun-hee, Shin Ji-yai) 61-72-67, $204,400
203 -- Japan (Shinobu Moromizato, Miki Saiki) 66-72-65; Taiwan (Wei Yun-Jye, Amy Hung) 66-69-68 $122,500 each
205 -- France (Gwladys Nocera, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement) 62-76-67, $84,000
206 -- Canada (Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp) 64-73-69; South Africa (Laurette Maritz, Ashleigh Simon) 68-72-66; Wales (Becky Brewerton, Becky Morgan) 67-71-68, $63,000 each
207 -- Paraguay (Julieta Granada, Celeste Troche) 66-73-68, $49,000
208 -- Scotland (Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay) 68-73-67; United States (Juli Inkster, Pat Hurst) 65-76-67, $38,500 each
210 -- Brazil (Candy Hannemann, Angela Park) 68-73-69; China (Na Zhang, Chun Wang) 67-75-68, $26,600 each
212 -- Sweden (Sophie Gustafson, Maria Hjorth) 65-77-70, $22,400
213 -- England (Trish Johnson, Danielle Masters) 67-76-70, $21,000
217 -- Italy (Silvia Cavalleri, Diana Luna) 73-76-68; Spain (Paula Marti Zambrano, Tania Elosegui) 69-79-69, $18,900 each
218 -- Australia (Lindsey Wright, Nikki Garrett) 68-78-72; Germany (Bettina Hauert, Martina Eberl) 69-78-71, $16,100 each With reports from www.lpga.com, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
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