Shootout looms as Phil Am Open unwraps

An early shootout among the country’s top shotmakers and foreign aces both in men’s and ladies divisions is expected as the chase for the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship crowns begins today (Thursday) at the north course of the Canlubang golf complex in Laguna.

Jobim Carlos, winner of last week’s NGAP National Doubles crown with Raymundo Gonzales, drew reigning Selangor Amateur champion Jerome Ng of Singapore in 9:08 a.m. flight on No. 1 in what promises to be an explosive start in the featured group that includes Cebu’s top bet Lloyd Go and Alabang’s Andres Saldana.

Rupert Zaragosa, the reigning national and junior champion, is paired with Singapore’s junior titlist Gregory Foo in the other key foursome that includes Korean Song Seung Ho of Riviera and Gonzales at 9:17 a.m., also on No. 1.

Carlos, Zaragosa and the other Cangolf bets hope to cash in on their local knowledge of the par-72 layout as they go all out for a strong start in the 72-hole championship presented by Globe Telecom, Inc., Pancake House and Airphil Express.

Focus will also be on the ladies side with defending champion Andie Unson leading the crack roster of the ICTSI-backed bets that includes Dottie Ardina, Jayvie Agojo, Sarah Ababa, Sunshine Baraquiel and Lovelynn Guioguio.

They, however, will have their hands full against a talent-laden foreign challenge headed by reigning Singapore national champion Amelia Yong and teammate Koh Sock Hwee, winner of the 2011 Warren Amateur Open title, and Joey Poh, who finished second to Yong in the Singapore National Open.

Also competing in the event, backed by Tanduay Distillers, Inc. as major sponsor and supported by Club Car, Pacsports, Golf Depot, Autohub and Callaway with Acacia Hotel as official hotel and Titleist as official ball, are Malaysians Vivienne Chin and Albright Chong, Indonesian Gianti Mahardika and a host of Koreans from Riviera, Calatagan, Manila Southwoods and Orchard.

Action in the 54-hole ladies division also starts today and tomorrow (Friday) with the final round slated Sunday, according to the organizing National Golf Association of the Phils.

Unson is paired with Yong and Seo in the 7:39 flight, guaranteeing an early battle royale among title contenders, Ardina is grouped with Chin and Scheo Soo Yeon in the 8:06 a.m. group, while Agojo drew Claire Amelia Legaspi and Koh in the 7:57 a.m. threesome – all on No. 1.

Other local bets fancied to contend for the ladies crown are Rainstar Roque, Chanelle Avaricio, Princess Superal, Ann Therese Sabater, Rachita Vasandani, Pauline del Rosario, Micah Shin, Apple Fudolin, Ping Jarales and veteran campaigner Eva Minoza.

Joining Carlos, Zaragosa and Gonzales in the hunt for the men’s title are Clyde Mondilla, John Kier Abdon, Art Arbole, Miggy Yee, Noel Langamin, Magno Arancon, Leonard Lofranco, Carlos Packing, Lawrence Celestino, Raymund Inigo, Joseph Uy, Junro Mamaril, Jama Reyes, Wolen Superal, Eugene Bunyi, Rogelio Roque, Miguel Shah, Sebastian Lorenzo, Santiago Lorenzo, Gino Brizuela, Justin Quiban, Miko Alejandro and Brent Sumampong.PR

Davao's Ikeda wrests lead with sizzling 67

Dabawenya Chihiro Ikeda bounced back from a so-so opening day stint with a stirring eagle-spiked five-under 67 as she grabbed a one-stroke lead over erstwhile leader Dottie Ardina in the second round of the Philippine Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship at The Country Club in Laguna.
Ikeda, seeking to re-claim the crown she won in 2008 at Southwoods, leaned on her impeccable iron play and steady putting to assemble a 36-hole aggregate of 141 and seize control of the field, majority of which came in ruffled by the wind that blew from all over, all day Thursday.
Ardina, impressive with her league-leading 70 in the first round, barely survived the ordeal, salvaging an even par 72 that dropped her off the pace but kept her within sight of Ikeda at 142 heading into the final day of the 54-hole tournament sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Bingo Bonanza, Pacsports-Nike Golf and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Korean Sun Hyun Park double-bogeyed the challenging par-4 18th and settled for a 72, missing the chance to get closer at the ICTSI teammates with a 145. But the Eagle Ridge bet will join the fancied duo in the championship flight today, hoping to spoil the Ikeda-Ardina title showdown in the event organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Phils.
Thai ace Juruporn Ayutthaya also wavered at the backside with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch, hobbling with a 74 for a 147 while Cyna Rodriguez virtually kissed her title-retention bid goodbye with a 148, seven strokes off the pace, after a 76.
Rodriguez, who romped away with a seven-stroke victory over Lovelynn Guioguio last year, also at Southwoods, remained in the thick of things with a 35 at the front. But the University of Southern California scholar made two double-bogeys at the back and limped home with a 41 for that four-over card.
“I didn’t want to fall behind too much heading into the final round,” said Ikeda, who with ICTSI team coach Bong Lopez headed straight to the range and practice green Wednesday to tinker with her iron game and putting stroke.
“Luckily, most of my approach shots were on target which led to many birdie chances,” said Ikeda, who rolled in birdie putts inside four feet on Nos. 4, 5 and 14 then knocked down an 8-iron second shot from 135 yards on the par-4 No. 7.
“My eagle on the seventh came as a bonus,” said Ikeda, also the reigning Singapore Ladies Open champion.
While Ikeda dished out a near-flawless stint on the sleek putting surface, the same could not be said of Ardina, who flubbed a short bogey-putt on No. 4 and wound up with a double-bogey and missed another four-footer for par on No. 15.
“I couldn’t get my putting going,” rued Ardina, also gearing up for the defense of her Southern Ladies crown next month in Bacolod. “The greens were faster today than in the first round.”
Guioguio carded a 74 for a 149, Andie Unson also made a 74 for a 150 while veteran Thai campaigner Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, who also finished runner-up to Irina Gabasa in last year’s national amateur championship, struggled with a 75 to drop into a tie with former champion Jayvie Agojo (76) and Princess Superal (75) at 151.
The tournament is backed by Bug Busters, Sky Broadband, RCBC, Absolute, HSBC, Baileys, Inquirer Golf, Chemical Applicators and Co., Inc., De Capricho Jewelers, Gov. Jay Jay C. Suarez of Quezon Province, MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Air 21, Jungolf Phils., EEI, The Mills Country Club, Burger King, Omnisource.(pr)

Chase on for Phl Ladies Open crown, Davao's Ikeda in great form

ARDINA

IKEDA

YUPAPORN

Premium will be on shot making and putting as the battle for this year’s
Philippine Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship crown begins Wednesday,
Jan. 12, at The Country Club in Laguna featuring an 82-woman strong
international field.
It will be an early clash of the fancied bets as Dottie Ardina slugs it out with
reigning Malaysia Amateur champion Diana Tham and Thai ace Juruporn Ayutthaya in
one of the featured flights in the 54-hole tournament that lured one of the
strongest casts in years.
Ardina, eager to nail down the crown missing in her wide collection of local and
international trophies, hopes to come up with a strong start against Tham and
Ayutthaya, two of a slew of foreign bets tipped to contend for this year’s crown
in the country’s premier ladies golfing championship sponsored by San Miguel
Corp., Bingo Bonanza, Pacsports-Nike Golf and the Philippine Sports Commission.
There are also former champions Chihiro Ikeda and Jayvie Agojo, last week’s
Philippine International Junior Golf Championship winner Andie Unson, veteran
campaigner Lovelynn Guioguio and defending champion Cyna Rodriguez, who make up
the core of the ICTSI golf squad vying in the tournament organized by the
Women’s Golf Association of the Phils.
“Chihiro is showing great form and is raring to go coming off the holiday break
while Jayvie is hungry for a title, Andie is oozing with confidence following
her victory at Greenfield and Lovelynn is also due for a win,” said ICTSI mentor
Nestor Mendoza.
But they will be pitted against a talent-laden international field, headed by
Thais Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Dolnapa Phudthipinji, Jittakarn chandraviroj and
Ayutthaya, and a host of scratch players from Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Japan and
South Korea, making the race for this year’s championship at the wind-raked
layout wide open.
“It’s anybody’s race on a course as tough as TCC. The greens are fast but who
can best control the ball flight will win,” said ICTSI head coach Bong Lopez,
whose wards hope to flash their familiarity with the course they call home.
Ikeda is ranged against Indonesia’s top player Ines Chandra Putri and Del
Monte’s Apple Fudolin right after the 8:20 a.m. flight of the Ardina group while
Rodriguez, hard pressed to duplicate her seven-stroke romp over Guioguio at
Southwoods last year, is paired with Kristine Leonen, also of Del Monte, and
Phudthipinji in the 8:40 a.m. flight.
Focus will also be on reigning national champion Irina Gabasa, the small but
solid-hitting shotmaker from Alta Vista who drew Korean Sun Yun Park and Aretha
Pan of Malaysia in the 8:50 a.m. group.
Meanwhile, the event, backed by Bug Busters, RCBC, Absolute, HSBC, Baileys,
Inquirer Golf, Chemical Applicators and Co., Inc., De Capricho Jewelers, Gov.
Jay Jay C. Suarez of Quezon Province, MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Air 21,
Jungolf Phils., EEI, The Mills Country Club, Burger King, Omnisource, was
launched in simple rites yesterday with WGAP president Rio Co welcoming the
participants.
Other WGAP officials are Marilen Bantug, Adele Olives, Theresa Staub, Marissa
Romano, Lydia Reyes, Colo Ventosa, Lorna Tabuena, Farah Imperial and Remy
Romero-Salas.
Also in the fold are the leading players of the various golf clubs in the
country, including those from Sta. Elena, Eagle Ridge, Soutwoods, Valley Golf,
Orchard, Riviera, Tagaytay Highlands, Alta Vista, Forest Hills, Pueblo de Oro,
Cangolf, Del Monte, Navy and Southwoods.(pr)