CYNA WAVERS BUT TAKES 2-SHOT LEAD WITH 70
CYNA RODRIGUEZ missed posting a huge opening round lead - tling for a two-under 70 and a twostroke lead over Fil-Am Cristina Corpus and Thai Jaruporn Palakawongnaayuttaya in the ICTSI Royal Northwoods Ladies Challenge at the Royal Northwoods Golf Club in San Rafael Bulacan on Tuesday.
On her way to an explosive start with four birdies after 17 holes, Rodriguez hit an errant shot on the par-4 closing hole and failed to recover, ending up with a doublebogey 6 that marred an otherwise
That gave her rivals some lift to keep it close with Corpus, seeking a follow-up to her breakthrough win at Luisita last year, mixing two birdies with the same num Palakawongnaayuttaya turning in a roller-coaster round of threebirdies against three bogeys for a
Chihiro Ikeda, out to seal her claim on the Order of Merit title with a victory here, blew a birdiebirdie feat from No. 3 as she bogeyed four of the last 11 holes to tumbled to joint fourth at 74 with 36 holes left in the P1 million event sponsored by ICTSI.
While Rodriguez wavered at the - tention. The former leg winner and Philippine Ladies Open champion birdied the last two holes to join Ikeda at two-over.
Other 74 scorers were Apple Fudolin, who fumbled with two bogeys in the last six holes, and Lovelyn Guioguio, who birdied the 17th.
Hwang Min- jeong, the Korean lass who humbled Rodriguez and Princess Superal at Mt. Malarayat last year, also stumbled with a double- bogey on the tricky finishing hole and five strokes off the pace.
Thais Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang and Sarauttaya Ngamusawan also hobbled in tough conditions with the former bogey the latter dropping four straight strokes from No. 7 en route to a 77.
Indonesian Jessica Lydia likewise found the going tough in Philippine Golf Tour, making seven bogeys and a double bogey with no birdie to show for an 81.
Rodriguez, the reigning threetime OOM winner in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., settled for pars in the with two birdies in the next three holes to wrest early control.
Priming up for the LPGA Stage III elims next month, she racked up four straight pars from No. 11 before gunning down birdies on in the penultimate leg of the 10-stage circuit backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Champion, TaylorMade, Ping, Yamaha and Pacsports. Cyna Rodriguez reads the line of her putt on No. 12.