Piccio, Martirez share lead with 2 others

CARMONA, Cavite—Filipinos Mia Piccio and the amateur Sam Martirez fired five-under-par 67s yesterday to share the opening round lead of the $75,000 ICTSI Champion Tour with the in-form Lee Jeong-hwa of South Korea and Japan’s Yumi Takabayashi.

Martirez picked up three shots in her last five holes at the Legends layout of Manila Southwoods here to catch the talented trio at the helm for a two-shot lead over Japan’s Fumika Kawagashi and Taiwan’s Wu Yi-Ching in the event presented by Champion and the Taiwan LPGA.

Chen Hanna of Taiwan, Japan’s Senno Yasufuku, Kanphanitnan Muangkhumaskul of Thailand and South Korea’s Gu Na-eun fired 70s to remain solidly in the hunt for the $15,000 champion’s purse.

“Putting played a big role for me today,” Martirez said.

Lee, who is seeking to sweep the two-leg stop of the TLPGA after conquering basically the same field at Splendido in Tagaytay last week, had three of her birdies in the front nine over a layout she calls home.