Baraquiel shines on late assault, leads by two

TAGAYTAY – Sunshine Baraquiel, whose wobbly windup cost her the first day honors Tuesday, sizzled at the finish this time, birdying two of the last four holes to salvage a two-over 72 and surge ahead by two in the second round of the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Challenge here yesterday.

In the first round, Baraquiel bogeyed two of the last three and yielded the lead to amateur Mafy Singson with a 77.

The 30-year-old, back on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour after completing flying lessons in the US, actually tied for the lead with a birdie on the first hole but fell with a thud with a horrendous five-bogey slide from No. 2, the last a three-putt miscue.

She, however, didn’t stray too far behind with a run of pars until she made her move with a birdie on No. 15 then stormed upfront with another feat on the last hole for a 38-34 and a 36-hole aggregate of nineover 149.

“I made a long putt for birdie on No. 1 then I don’t know how I blew it and I ended up having five bogeys in a row,” said Baraquiel. “I got mad but I told myself to ‘wake up’ and ‘start fresh.’ After that I shot two-under.”

Chihiro Ikeda also produced a 72 in another topsy-turvy day at the exacting Highlands course as she poised herself to ending a two-year title spell with a 151, the same output put in by Daniella Uy, who dropped three strokes in the first two holes but parred the last 12 holes to save a 73 and nurture hopes of ending a long title drought.

Singson birdied the last hole to check an impending skid and post a second 76 but the top amateur dropped from second to fourth with a 152, three strokes adrift of Baraquiel while Harmie Constantino blew a gutsy even-par 34 start with a backside 42 marred by two double bogeys and a couple of bogeys.