Hwang pulls away by 8 as rivals falter
LIPA City, Batangas – Hwang Ye-nah birdied two of the last three holes to fire a 69 as she all but wrapped up another championship in the ICTSI Champion Tour with a whopping eight-shot lead over Thai Chatprapa Siriprakob in the second round of the $75,000
Unlike in her eagle- spiked 66 Wednesday that netted her an early five- stroke lead over Princess Superal, Hwang headed for an up- and- down finish of three birdies against two bogeys until she closed out with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a 35-34 card and a 135.
That put her eight strokes clear of Siriprakob, who turned in a best four-under 68 in scorching day and moved to second at 143 as Superal floundered with a 73 and dropped to joint third at 144 with Korean amateur Hwang Min-jeong, who matched par 72 for the second straight day in the 54-hole championship presented by Champion.
“My putting wasn’t good today ( yesterday) as well as my short game,” said Hwang, who moved 18 holes away from duplicating her wire- to- wire triumph at ICTSI Ladies Open at Southlinks in 2015, also over Superal, worth another $15,000.
Despite her huge lead, Hwang said she still have to shoot a 66 to win.
Superal, meanwhile, hints at turning in a low 60 or a 10-under card to get a crack at the crown in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
“My putting was awful and missed so many birdie putts,” said Superal, who recovered from a two- bogey mishap after eight holes with birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 but stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 13 before holing out with a birdie for a 37-36 card. “I have to score 10-under to win.”
Tha i Saranporn Langkulgasettrin, winner of the first Philippine Ladies Masters at Alabang last December, rebounded from a so-so opening of 74 and a bogeybogey start with three birdies in the last 11 holes as she carded a 71 to move to solo fifth at 145.
The rest of the local aces failed to gain in moving day.
Fil- Japanese amateur Yuka Saso also struggled with a 74 and slipped to sixth at 146 while threetime ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez hardly recovered from a 74 with a 73 for joint seventh with Piyathida Ployumsri of Thailand, who fumbled with a 75, at 147.
Mia Piccio, who limped with a 76 in the first round, made some charge with birdies on Nos. 12 and 14, only to waver with bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18 and signed for a 72 and fell way behind at 148.