Avaricio rolls to 3rd LPGT win, tops ICTSI Pradera by 6
LUBAO, Pampanga—Chanelle Avaricio completed a dominant campaign to nail her third victory in the last five Ladies Philippine Golf Tour events, beating Sarah Ababa and Chihiro Ikeda by six on a closing 72 here yesterday and adding the ICTSI Pradera Verde Ladies Classic crown to her growing trophy collection.
Unlike in her playoff win over Princess Superal at Hallow Ridge and a one-stroke escape over Ikeda at Caliraya Springs, Avaricio hardly found any challenge in the last 18 holes of the P750,000 championship, keeping her overnight four-stroke lead intact over nine holes, padding it to seven after No. 14 before settling for a sixstroke triumph with a last-hole miscue for the second straight day.
“I didn’t expect to win and just tried to focus on every shot. But my first round (64) was the key, it kind of pushed me to where I am today (yesterday),” said Avaricio, who took control with a Tour record eight-under card Wednesday, stayed in command despite a 75 in the second round and banked another P90,000 with a fiveunder 211 total.
Ikeda did threaten to within two with a birdie on No. 7 coupled with Avaricio’s mishap on the fifth but the latter fought back with a birdie on the eighth and sat on another four-cushion at the turn on an Ikeda bogey on the night.
It was cruise control for the Alabama State U alumna at the back, pulling away with a birdie-bogey-birdie run from No. 12 against Ikeda’s bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15, enabling Ababa, who fell behind with a 39 card after 11 holes in another blistering day at the f lat but challenging Pradera layout, to get into a fierce duel for runner-up honors with birdies on Nos. 12 and 15.
Ababa finished with a 73 while Ikeda hobbled with a 74 as they tied for second at 217 and split the combined P114,750 purse.
“I played pretty steady. I had a couple of bad shots but I was able to recover in some holes,” said Avaricio, who scored an LPGT breakthrough with a runaway triumph at Riviera-Couples in bubble setup last year. “But I’ll try to keep on improving, especially my irons and short game.”
Marvi Monsalve holed out with a birdie to break back-to-back 74s with a 72 as she snatched solo fourth at 220, while Sunshine Baraquiel, winner at Highlands last year, skied to a 77 and wound up tied for fifth at 222 with Pamela Mariano, who limped with a 78.