Pinays pace World Jr golf opener

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso sizzled with a six-under 66 as Team Philippines pooled a nine-under 135 and took a whopping 11-shot lead over China at the start of the World Junior Girls Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Wednesday.

Saso bucked the wind with superb iron shots that set up a number of birdie chances, including six she drilled in in a 13-hole stretch from No. 4, lifting the Phl to a huge lead in team play while leading a 1-2 start by the Filipinas in individual competition of the third staging of the event conducted by Golf Canada and supported by the International Golf Federation and R&A.

National champion Harmie Constantino backed Saso with a 69 as the Phl surprised the 16-team field with a scorching start despite gusty condition at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club.

China, Canada-1 and the US turned in identical 146s while Germany, Denmark and Sweden stood two shots farther back at 148. Italy assembled a 149.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all, I was trying to just enjoy the course and the moment today,” said Saso, a winner of a pro tournament back home. “I was hitting well, especially my second shots and my putting. I was able to get the speeds of the greens, which was good because they were fast.”

The 15-year-old added she felt comfortable with the wind, having taken it into account in her game plan coming into the round.

“The course was hard today and the wind made it even tougher. I made sure to add five to 10 yards on each shot and I think I did well to manage the effects of the wind,” said Saso, who stumbled with a missed green bogey on No. 3.

Constantino, also 15, made the turn at 35 but hit three birdies against a bogey at the back to provide a solid backup to the hot-starting Saso.

Sofia Legaspi, the other Filipina in the team whose stint is sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Philippines, however sputtered with an 84 and didn’t count.

German Esther Henseleit shot the only other under-par card at 71 for third in individual play with local ace Monet Chun and Italy’s Caterina Don matching par 72s.