Baraquiel finishes strong to wrest lead

Sunshine Baraquiel: Better wind up this time —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Sunshine Baraquiel birdied two of her last four holes on Wednesday to salvage a two-over-par 72 and zoom to a two-stroke lead over the dangerous Chihiro Ikeda and Daniella Uy heading into the final round of the P750,000 ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Challenge.

Her strong finish was in stark contrast to the wobbly one she had in Tuesday’s first round that resulted in a horrendous 77 over the up-and-down course, taking a 149 aggregate heading into the final 18 holes as she shoots to break through as a pro.

Baraquiel actually started the way she finished the first round, signing for five straight bogeys from No. 2 to fall as far as four strokes back after nine holes. She steadied the ship somewhat after dropping her last shot at No. 6 before picking up strokes at the 15th and 18th.

“I made a long putt for birdie on No. 1 and I don’t know how I blew it and I ended up having five bogeys in a row,” said Baraquiel. “I got mad but I told myself to ‘wake up’ and ‘start fresh.’ After that I shot two-under.”

The chasing pack

Ikeda, the former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist who last won on tour in 2019, matched Baraquiel’s 72, and she was the one who threw away a golden opportunity for the lead when she signed for a double-bogey 6 on the closing hole. Uy had a round littered with a double-bogey, two bogeys and a birdie for a 73.

“My putting and short game, which I said needed some work, worked for me in the end,” added Baraquiel.

Harmie Constantino, the champion at Eagle Ridge last week, held a two-shot lead on the field after the first nine with a 34, only to balloon with a birdie-less 42 coming home after two double-bogeys and a bogey for a 76. She now stands four shots off after losing a one-shot lead at the start of the day.