Del Rosario, Thai ace share PH Ladies lead
Pauline Del Rosario and Pimnipa Panthong of Thailand shot three-under-par 69s yesterday to share the first-round lead in the Champion Infinity Philippine Ladies Open championship at Wack Wack West in Mandaluyong.
Del Rosario carried the fight for the rock-solid local contingent with five birdies against two bogeys, the last coming on the 17th which cost her the solo lead, while Panthong had an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys in a 35-34 round.
“Overall, it was a good game despite the slow greens,” the 16-year-old Del Rosario said.
Kanyalak Preedasutthijit, the reigning Thailand Open champion, returned a 71 like former Asian Youth Games champion Miya Legaspi, who closed out with a double bogey.
Princess Superal, the country’s No. 1 who ended last season with victories in her final five tournaments, faltered on the greens and hobbled with a 74.
She will have a lot of catching up to do considering that there are only two rounds left in the prestigious event backed by Mega Fiber, the Philippine Golf Tour, PacSports and Shell Philippines and C2 as official beverage and Vermogen as official apparel.
Pimnipa, the former Malaysian Ladies Open champion, drained her eagle on the par-4 sixth when her 80-yard approach went in.
“The greens were very slow,” the 18-year-old Pimnipa said. “We all had to adjust.”
A compatriot of Pimnipa, Sumapas Sangchan won the last two editions of this event with Superal finishing second last year at Forest Hills in Antipolo.
Yuka Saso matched Superal’s 74 with Annika Cedo shooting a 75.
