Bernice 2 shots down in Hong Kong amateur golf

Filipino Bernice Olivarez-Ilas wavered at the finish and fumbled with a one-over 73, dropping two strokes off Huang Yu Ping and Hou Yu Sang of Chinese Taipei and local star Hu Jing, at the start of the Esprit Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling late Wednesday.

Olivarez-Ilas blew a one-under card with two late miscues, dropping a stroke on No. 14 on a wayward approach shot and hitting an errant drive on the next on her way to a double-bogey.

She slipped to joint sixth with Li Yuen of Hong Kong.

“I miscalculated a couple of shots,” said Olivarez-Ilas, who is seeking to retain the crown won by former The Country Club teammate and now Symetra Tour campaigner Princess Superal.

But Olivarez-Ilas, who won a tournament on the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour last year, will have to work extra hard to close in on Huang, Hou and Hu (71s).

Sofia Chabon, the other TCC mainstay, stood three shots off the joint leaders at 74, along with Annyka Cayabyab and five others.