Cyna Rodriguez was flawless in carding a six-under-par 63 Tuesday, zooming to a four-stroke lead after the first 18 holes of the P500,000 Camp John Hay Ladies Invitational in Baguio.
The well-built Rodriguez, the Order of Merit winner of last year’s inaugural season of the fledging tour, returned a 32-31 card, combining hot putting with her awesome length to leave the field in her wake.
Thailand’s Amolkan Phalajivin was second after a 67 and Jayvie Agojo, who came into the tournament the hot favorite to win a second straight title, shot herself in the foot with a 77 to be 14 strokes off.
“I just like the greens here, they roll to my liking,” Rodriguez, who didn’t have the benefit of a practice round at the up-and-down layout, said.
Rodriguez opened up with two straight birdies and then finished birdie-birdie-par even as the Thai couldn’t sustain a hot streak of six straight birds starting from the 11th after a double bogey 6 on the 17th.
Anya Tanpinco, the many-time national team mainstay who is also looking to win for the first time as a pro, returned a level 69 to be six behind, with Sarah Jane Ababa shooting a 70 and Apple Fudolin a 74 like Korean expat Seo Yon-kwon.
Agojo, who won last week at The Riviera when she came from behind to nip Chihiro Ikeda, bogeyed the second and third holes and Nos. 8 and 9, which sandwiched another dropped shot on the sixth for an opening 40 she never recovered from.
“My putting was awful,” said Agojo before leaving in a huff.
The event is also being backed by Nike, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp.