MORIYA, KO SHARE LPGA LA OPEN LEAD
challenge from a number of bidders out to foil his back- to- back title drive in the men’s division while keen competition is also seen in the women’s side of the week-long event sponsored by MVP Sports Foundation and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.
Po, 18, is hoping to recall the form that netted him a 4&3 victory over Jolo Magcalayo last year, more so after the Cebuano bet took an early exit in the recent MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play where he was booted out right in the second round.
But he has vowed to redeem himself with a strong showing this week, along with a slew of others, led by club bets Kristoffer Arevalo, Joaquin Gomez, Michael Pizarro and Sean Ramos and Leandro Bagtas, Aldo Barro, Aidric Chan, Carl Corpus, David Guangko, Riggs Illescas, Luigi Guerrero, Francis Lanuza and Aniceto Mandanas.
Gabby Macalaguim, Don Padilla, Pierre Ticzon and siblings Bernard and Delfin Trinos are also vying in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines with Koreans Kim Sang Jin, Lee Sang Min and Sung Yeon Soo also seeking to spoil the locals’ bids.
For details, call the organizing National Golf Association of the Philip-
at 9822000 local 2241.
- en’s division with Harmie Constantino, Laia Barro, Laurea Duque, Mikha
Focus will also be on Mactan Golf Club’s Angela Mangana, who is shooting for a follow-up to her surprise victory in the MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play.
Others in the fold are Koreans Jang Yun Ji, Kim Hui Won, Kim Seo Young and Kwon Taeyon and Singapore’s Jacqueline Young.
in a 36-hole stroke play elims with the top 32 in the men’s and top 16 in the ladies advancing to the knockout phase starting Wednesday.
The survivors will then play two
sides, a 36-hole affair, set on Friday.
Also up for grabs are the boys and girls’ titles in the Special Division with Mikhaela Constantino and Koreans Jeong Yeaheun and Kwon Min Seo leading the girls’ cast and Santino Pineda and Jaehyun Jung of Korea bannering the boys’ roster. LOS ANGELES: Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn birdied the 18th hole Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to match South Korea’s Ko Jin Young for a share of the lead after the third round of the LPGA’s LA Open. Moriya, the 2013 LPGA Rookie
-
Ko shot 66
at Wilshire Country
204 after 54 holes.
Seven- time major champion Park In-bee was third on 206 with South Korean compatriot Ji Eunhee and American Marina Alex
Moriya opened with a double bogey and took another bogey at the par-4 sixth before turning her round around with a birdie at the par-4 eighth.
The 23-year-old sister of Thai star Ariya Jutanugarn eagled the par-4 14th and closed with a birdie at the par-3 18th to match Ko atop the leaderboard.
Ko, 22, won 10 times on the Korean women’s tour, the last of those titles coming last October at Incheon in an LPGA cosanctioned event. She added her second LPGA victory in February at the Australian Women’s Open.
holes and added another to start the back nine. She continued to surge with birdies at the par-3 12th and par-5 15th before her lone bogey at 16, which she answered with a birdie at 18.
Joining the co- leaders in the
whose back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 spiced a 69.