Harmie zooms ahead at Couples with a 70

Harmie Constantino’s one-under gives her a three-shot lead. —LPGT

Harmie Constantino gunned down three birdies under demanding conditions on Wednesday to return a one-under-par 70 and zoom to a three-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda after the opening round of the P750,000 ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship at the Couples course in Silang, Cavite.

The last of those birdies came on the par-5 16th as Constantino sealed a 35-35 card to get her bid for a third pro title off on a scorching pace.

“I played pretty steady although I missed a couple of short putts,” said Constantino, the rookie pro who won two Eagle Ridge-Aoki legs last March and five weeks ago.

Ikeda had a double bogey 6 on No. 9 and the last of her three bogeys on the par-4 14th which still kept her in good position to win for the first time since 2019.

Daniella Uy struggled to a 74 and Chanelle Avaricio shot a 76 to be six shots behind and needing a low round on Thursday to figure in the title mix.

Sunshine Baraquiel, the breakthrough winner at Tagaytay Highlands a month back, had a double bogey and seven bogeys against two birdies in a 42-36 round for a 78, downplaying how tough the well-manicured layout played.

Mafy Singson, the amateur who flirted with victory when the tour restarted, had just one birdie in an atrocious 85 that was littered with two double bogeys and a triple bogey 7 on No. 11.