THAI CRUISES TO 7-SHOT LPGT SPLENDIDO ROMP

PAVARISA YOKTUAN pounced on Dottie Ardina’s wobbly start to fashion out a lopsided wire- to- wire seven- stroke victory in the ICTSI Splendido Ladies Classic yesterday, becoming the second Thai player to win after four legs of the 2018 Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Bracing for a fierce final round duel with the local ace, Yoktuan hardly found a challenge, pulling away by five despite a par-game at the turn as Ardina self-destructed with three bogeys in a birdie-less frontside stint despite near-ideal condition at the rolling Splendido Taal Golf Club course.

It was cruise control for the Thai bet from there as Ardina failed to rebound with three more bogeys against a lone birdie and Yoktuan scooted home to victory in sweltering heat past noon with a closing 72 on a two-birdie, two-bogey stint for a 54-hole total of 210 worth P150,000.

“It’s a nice feeling to win here for the first time,” said the 24-year-old Yoktuan who placed third in last week’s ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational won by Chihiro Ikeda in a three-hole playoff over Korean amateur Lee Ji Hyeon. “The greens were fast but overall, the course was in perfect shape.”

She thus added up to the growing list of Thai winners in recent LPGT tournaments, including Renuka Suksukont at the Phl Ladies Masters and Yupaporn Kawinpakorn at South Forbes last December and Beverly Place last month with Ikeda breaking their romp with a victory at Eagle Ridge earlier this month.

Ikeda actually tried to give chase in an earlier flight but the nine-shot overnight deficit proved too big to overcome for the Fil-Japanese shotmaker, who hit three birdies in the first 12 holes but could only come closest at six. She bogeyed No. 15 for a 70 and tied Ardina, who limped with a 77 after two 70s, and Korean amateur Kim Hee Ji, who matched par 72, at 217.

Ikeda and Ardina split the combined P155,000 purse with Kim taking the low amateur honors in the event sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Another Thai, Kanyalak Preedasuttijit, turned in a 73 and ended up fifth at 218 while Princess Superal shot a 70 to tie pretournament favorite Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, who fired a 71, and Chatprapa Siriprakob, who carded a third 73, at 219.

Superal, 11 strokes behind at the start of the final round, actually made an early two- birdie charge after three holes and posted a four- under card after 10. But the many- time LPGT winner faded with three bogeys against a birdie in the last eight holes and settled for a 70.

Thanuttra Boonraksasat shot a 75 and finished ninth at 220 while reigning LPGT Order of Merit winner Pauline del Rosario failed to get going and wound up with a 75 and a 222 for 10th in a rare poor finish in the circuit backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZGm PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.

An irritated world number one Caroline Wozniacki progressed to the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Thursday (Friday in Manila) in a feisty match where she complained and apparently mocked her opponent Monica Niculescu’s grunting.

The recently crowned Australian Open champion won 7-5, 6-1 against the Romanian — who had knocked out Maria Sharapova in a previous round — but was visibly agitated in the ninth game of the first set, complaining her opponent was making noises as the Dane was about to hit the ball.

Wozniacki was so upset about the sounds coming from the other side of the net that she complained to French umpire Emmanuel Joseph.

“It isn’t in the rule book that you are not allowed to grunt when the opposing player hits?” courtside microphones caught her asking Joseph.

The umpire said he thought everything was “regular”, but Wozniacki added:“It’s the only way she can win.” She then mimicked the grunts. Afterwards she complained that her opponent was“a player that tries to get into your head”.

She also told Danish TV that her opponent had used “unfair methods”.

“( I) just tried to let him know to pay attention to her grunting because she’ll hit the ball and two seconds later when the ball is on my side and I’m right about to hit, she’ll start grunting and make a noise,” the Dane told reporters.

“And she will change the grunt according to what she feels like.”

Asked if she thought her opponent was grunting deliberately, Wozniacki responded:“I think that she didn’t do it in the second set, so...”

The spat overshadowed a relatively routine victory for the 27-year-old.

She now plays a former Australian Open champion, Angelique Kerber, in the last eight on Friday.

The German came from a set down to beat Johanna Konta 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

The woman Wozniacki beat in Melbourne, Simona Halep, is also through beating Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 6-3, keeping alive the possibility of a replay of the Australian Open final.

Halep shrugged off injury concerns coming into the match about an ankle injury which had kept her out of action since Melbourne.

She seemed relatively untroubled breaking her opponent’s serve late in each set to advance to the last eight.

“I’m really glad that I could finish it in two sets and play like I played,” said Halep.

The world number two will play 18-year-old American qualifier Catherine Bellis in the last eight, who beat defending champion and world number five Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

It is the first time the teenager has beaten anyone ranked in the top five.

“I think it’s definitely a milestone. It’s great,” she said.