Pauline del Rosario just three shots down in Taiwan

Pauline del Rosario. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Pauline del Rosario drained two late birdies for a three-under-par 69 on Wednesday to be the best-placed Filipino after the first round of the Party Golfers Ladies Open, trailing Jessica Peng and Ling-Jie Chen by three at Lily Golf and Country Club in Guanxi Township, Hsinchu county in Chinese Taipei.

Coming off a win in the Pro-Am, the long-hitting Del Rosario had four total birdies against a bogey that came at the par-3 8th, ruing flubbed chances on the greens after missing just one fairway over the narrow layout to be in the mix early on in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) of Taiwan event.

“I had four makeable putts in the first six holes, but I tried to make up for the misses the rest of the way,” said Del Rosario, the 2017 winner of the TLPGA and Royal Open crown.

Peng and Chen each signed for seven birdies and a bogey in carving out 66s, leading fellow Taiwanese and former Ladies Philippine Golf Tour winner Ching Huang and Thai Ornnicha Konsunthea by a shot.

Florence Bisera, another PH entry, needs a big bounce back to matter in Friday’s final round after blowing a three-undercard early with three bogeys for a 72, tied with Daniella Uy and several others.

“I was nervous at first since this is my first tournament abroad,” said Bisera, who humbled some of the country’s top pros to score a breakthrough on the Ladies Professional Golf Tour (LPGT) in her native Davao. “But it’s a great opportunity to be here, that’s why I grabbed this chance.”

The other Filipinos under the LPGT banner, however, struggled, with amateur Mafy Singson turning in a wild 74 like Sarah Ababa. Harmie Constantino and amateur Laurea Duque limped with 75s and Chanelle Avaricio carding a birdie-less 76.