Cyna Rodriguez shoots ace, prevails by five

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Cyna Rodriguez shot a hole-in-one on the way to a 5-under-par 67 yesterday and clinched her third straight victory in the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour by five strokes over amateur Pauline del Rosario in the Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki course here.

Using a Titleist 5-iron and Pro V1x ball, Rodriguez aced the 168-yard sixth hole to pull away by four strokes from Del Rosario, who was rattled by the sudden shift of fortune she ended up three-putting the hole for bogey.

“That (ace) made my day,” said Rodriguez, who finished with a 71 and a 54-hole total of 211 after earlier rounds of 74-70. She won the P100,000 top prize.

Del Rosario, who opened with a 71 before falling into a tie with Rodriguez after the second round, settled for second with a 72 for 216.

The 15-year-old Del Rosario, one of the members of the ICTSI golf squad, is set to join reigning US Girls Juniors champion Princess Superal and Asian Youth Games gold medalist Miya Legaspi in the coming Asian Games.

Amolkan Phalajivin of Thailand also rebounded with a closing 34 to save a 72 and wind up solo third at 219. She picked up the P70,000 runner-up prize.

Chihiro Ikeda carded a 73 for fourth at 222 worth P45,000 while Sarah Ababa fumbled with two late bogeys and wound up with a 76 for fifth at 224.

Lovelynn Guioguio hobbled home with a 77 and ended up sixth at 225, followed up by Korean Kwon Seo-yon, who turned in a 75 for sixth at 225 and Riviera leg winner Jayvie Agojo, who skied to an 80 for a 231.

Korean amateur Hwang Min-jeong rallied with a 73 and finished ninth at 232 while Anya Tanpinco struggled with a 78 for a 242 and wound up 10th in the 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.