LPGT duel: South tops singles, edges North

CANLUBANG, Laguna—Team South captured five of the eight singles matches and hacked out a 9-7 victory over Team North yesterday in the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s Duel— North vs South at Cangolf’s South course here.

Chihiro Ikeda, Anya Tanpinco and Lovelynn Guioguio won the first three points for South on the final day of the Ryder Cup-style  competition before Sarah Ababa and Barsy Leonen delivered the clinching victories.

The match between South’s Apple Fudolino and North’s Jan Punzalan ended in a tie to give the eventual champion 5.5 points for the day.

North, which led by a point with 4.5 after the fourballs and foursomes, produced only two victories in the singles through Cyna Rodriguez and Lucy Landicho, who both stayed perfect with a 3-and-2 victory over Eva Miñoza and a 1-up win over South skipper Sylvia Torres, respectively.

Ikeda rushed things up to catch a flight to Japan and took out Heidi Chua, 5 and 4, then Tanpinco stayed unbeaten with an 8-and-7 romp over Majorie Pulumbarit. Guioguio outsteadied North team captain Mary Grace Estuesta, 2 and 1.

“Just wanted to help the team because I didn’t play that well (Thursday),” said Ikeda.

Rodriguez and Landicho kept the Duel tied with victories over Miñoza and Torres but Ababa and Leonen stamped their class over Bareng (5 and 4) and De Guzman (7 and 6), respectively in the event sponsored by ICTSI and backed by Nike Golf, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp.