Del Rosario forces tie in LET Thailand with 67

PAULINE DEL ROSARIO shot a near impeccable five-under 67 to gain a share of the lead with Swede Lynn Carlsson halfway through the Ladies European Tour’s Thailand Championship at the Phoenix Golf and Country Club’s Mountain Ocean course in Pattaya late Friday.

Del Rosario hit four birdies in a solid frontside stint then gunned two more to negate her bogey on No. 15 and complete a 32-35 card that shoved the rising Filipina star from joint seventh to a share of the lead at 137, one ahead of Thai Kanyalak Preedasuttijit, who shot a 68, and overnight leader Anne Van Dam from the Netherlands, who slowed down with a 71, for 138s.

Carlsson fired a solid 65, spiked by a 31 at the back for a career-best round.

At seven-under-par, the pair are a stroke ahead of Thailand’s Kanyalak Preedasuttjit and overnight co-leader Anne Van Dam from the Netherlands.“I was able to play here last year and glad to be back, as I got in through Thai LPGA. I play four tours: Philippines, China, Thai and Taiwan. My shots actually weren’t that accurate, but my putts were rolling in,” said the 19-yearold Del Rosario, the reigning Order of Merit winner back home, who finished at 17th here last year.

She got going with birdies in the first two holes then gunned down two more on Nos. 5 and 9. Though she birdied two more at the back to make up for a lone bogey, Del Rosario failed to birdie the two par 5s.

Over in Symetra Tour, Mia Piccio shot a 69 to trail American Esther Lee by four while Dottie Ardina carded a 71 at the start of the Island Resort Championship in Michigan Friday.