INQUIRER Sports

VIENTIANE, Laos ? A chubby young golfer and two world-class cue artists provided the spark as Team Philippines captured six gold medals Monday for its most productive output thus far at the 25th Southeast Asian Games here.

Chihiro Ikeda, 18, survived a playoff for top individual honors after powering the women golfers? romp in the team event at the Booyoung Golf Course, while Ronnie Alcano and Rubilen Amit seized billiards? 8-ball singles titles at the Donchan Palace Convention Center.

Trackster Rene Herrera?s 3,000-meter steeplechase gold and muay fighter Zaidi Laruan?s points victory over Laotian Vixay Bounthavy in their lightweight finals completed the big day for the Filipinos, who solidified their hold of sixth place going into the last four days of the biennial meet.

Under pressure from the host country, the Filipinos found breathing room with an 18-19-22 gold-silver-bronze tally. Laos stayed in seventh spot at 15-7-27.

The Philippines was in a position to boost its standing as six more swimming finals are slated late Monday. Indonesia, just one gold ahead of the Philippines, is not a traditional pool contender.

Powerhouse Thailand, overall champion in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2007, started to pull away from the rest of the field with 40 golds. Vietnam was second with 31 golds followed by Singapore with 25.

Ikeda fired a two-under-par 70 and then survived a three-hole playoff to beat Thai Yupaporn Kawinpakorn for the women?s individual title. Counting another 70 by Dottie Ardina, the Filipinos also bested the Thais for the team plum. Mia Piccio?s 72 did not count.

The men?s team settled for third place, missing the title-playoff betwen eventual champion Thailand and Singapore by two shots.

?I had a hard time, but I was able to exploit her mistakes,? said Amit, the reigning world 10-ball champion following her 5-1 win over 2007 SEA Games titlist Angeline Ticoal of Indonesia.

The 28-year-old Amit now goes for a billiards title double in the 9-ball singles Tuesday.

Alcano, who both held the world 8-ball and 10-ball titles in 2007, sparked the gold rush when he trounced compatriot Gandy Valle 7-1.

Herrera left his rivals early en route to post a winning time of 9 minutes, 11.21 seconds.

Laruan assured the muay fighters of improving on their 2007 performance when he outpointed his taller Laotian rival.

?This is very great news and all our remaining athletes should take heart from their compatriots? achievements,? said PSC chair Harry Angping in a text message.

Brighter prospects are on the horizon.

Flyweight boxer Annie Albania and light fly Alice Kate Aparri subdued their respective semifinal foes and joined pinweight Josie Gabuco in Wednesday?s finals.

The other silver medalists were light flyweight Ronald Claro in muay and the pair of Jaime Asok and Ryan Fabriga in the men?s 10m synchronized diving.

The fourth female boxer, lightweight Mitchel Martinez yielded to Thai Peamwilai Laopeam, 4-7, and settled for the bronze, along with trackster Mercedita Manipol-Fetalvero in the 5,000m run.

Gunning for golds are light welterweight Jonathan Polosan and flyweight Romnick Pabalate in muay and archers Jennifer Chan and Earl Benjamin Yap.