Pinays gear up for World Jr golf sweep

MANILA, Philippines - Yuka Saso sprang back from a second round meltdown with a gutsy one-over 73 in severe conditions as she regained the solo lead in individual competition and helped pad the Philippines’ lead to eight in team play in the third round of the World Junior Girls Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Thursday.

Diminutive Harmie Constantino also bucked howling winds and driving rains at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club and turned in a second straight 75 as Team Phl pooled a 148 for a 433, eight strokes ahead of defending champion South Korea, which had a 441 after a 149, heading to the final 18 holes of the third staging of the event conducted by Golf Canada and supported by the International Golf Federation and R&A.

US limped with a 153 and slid to third at 445 while erstwhile joint second running China struggled with a 154 for a 446 and Germany shot a 150 to tie Italy, which groped for a 154, at 448 as the field failed to match the Filipinas’ grit and big fighting heart under demanding conditions.

“I am happy and honored to have re-taken the lead,” said Saso, who bounced back from a 77 that didn’t count in the second round with a two-birdie, three-bogey effort to regain the solo lead at even 216. “I wasn’t expecting it though.”

Neither did the 15-year-old Constantino, who actually blew a two-under card after five holes with five bogeys the rest of the way. Still, her 219 put her back in joint second with Korean Hee Jung Lim and Chinese Du Mohan, who shot 75 and 76, respectively.