Hole-in-one at Makulot’s No. 8 gives Constantino one-shot lead
HARMIE CONSTANTINO aced No. 8 to spike a solid 32 start at Mt. Malipunyo but hobbled with two bogeys at Mt. Lobo for a 70, barely saving a one-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda and Marvi Monsalve at the start of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Mount Malarayat Ladies Challenge on Wednesday in Lipa City.
Hard-pressed to snap a long title spell on a course where she won as an amateur over a foreign-laced pro field in 2016, Constantino delivered, setting in explosive motion her title drive with birdies on Nos. 1 and 5 before scoring a hole-in-one on the 118-yard No. 8 of Mount Malarayat’s composite 27-hole layout.
But she dropped a stroke on the next par-3, No. 11 of Mt. Lobo, and the reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion yielded another shot on the 15th as she struggled trying to recall her form in scorching heat and buck the undulating Malarayat surface.
“It wasn’t that good. I hit a lot of greens but missed a lot of birdie putts. I wasn’t also able to save a few par putts,” rued Constantino, referring to her muffed chances at the back for a 38.
“But overall it was okay,” added Constantino, who used a pitching wedge and Titleist No. 2 ball in hitting her whopping eighth career ace, who netted her P20,000 from ICTSI, which awards the prize for the first ace in the season for both the LPGT and PGT, and P10,000 worth of products from the host club. “But I think I could’ve done better.”
While Constantino nearly blew it all at Mt. Lobo, flightmate Ikeda flourished, working her way back from six down with a birdie on No. 10 and an eagle on the par-5 13th off a solid drive and a superb rescue shot from 212 yards that landed 10 feet off the cup.
The multi-titled campaigner, who last won at Midlands via playoff over Pauline del Rosario, missed forcing a tie with a flubbed birdie putt from six feet on the closing par-5 hole for a 38-33.