Del Rosario 13th in Thai Masters

MANILA, Philippines - Amateur Pauline del Rosario blew a two-under card and wound up with a 73, finishing tied for 13th in the Thailand LPGA Masters 2016 dominated by the local aces at the Panya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok yesterday.

Del Rosario tried to work her way up from seven down with birdies on Nos. 1 and 5 but The Country Club ace stumbled with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch from No 8 and flubbed a couple of birdie chances in the closing holes for a 35-38 card.

She ended up with a 54-hole total of 217, 13 strokes behind Thanapolboobyaran Pannarat, who closed out with bogey-free 67 for a 204 to beat compatriot Niphatsophon Benyapa, who shot a 66 for a 207, by three.

Princess Superal found her rhythm too late as she birdied two of the last four to save a 72 for joint 16th at 218 while Cyna Rodriguez also turned in a 73 for 28th at 220 and TCC’s Mikha Fortuna also birdied two of the last four but still shot a 76 for a 222.

Over in Hong Kong, Bernice Olivarez-Ilas fired the day’s best one-under 71 to move to third, just two strokes behind Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Ching Tseng and Tzu Yu Chou in the second round of the Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur Championship at the Clearwater Bay Club yesterday.

It was a big rebound for Olivarez-Ilas, who opened her bid with an 80 but settled down quickly to put herself back in contention in the event which Superal won in runaway fashion early this year. The top The Country Club bet pooled a 151.

Tseng and Chou assembled identical 149s after a pair of 73s but braced for a final round duel with the young Filipina, who has won a pro tournament back home.

Sofia Chabon, the other TCC bet in the fold, also rebounded with a 74 after a 78, and stood just three back at 152.