Korean takes one-shot lead over Agojo

MANILA, Philippines - Korean Lee Jeong Hwa took charge of the stellar field despite a faltering windup, her wind-blown two-over par 74 giving her a one-stroke lead over former champion Jayvie Agojo in a topsy-turvy first round of the 50th Philippine Ladies Open at Wack Wack’s East course.

Lee, out to complete her failed title run in the 2009 staging of the event at home at Southwoods, rammed in two birdies in the early going to seize control but reeled back with a double-bogey on No. 9. She dropped two more strokes in a birdie-less stint at the back but her 74 was enough to keep her in the lead as the rest came in ruffled by the wind that blew from all over yesterday.

Agojo, 25, had a roller-coaster round of two birdies against five bogeys for a 75 she described as “good” given the condition of the par-72 layout made more daunting by testy pin placements.

“I had a bad start, but the good thing was I hit the greens a lot to get me from where I am now,” said Agojo, the reigning Hong Kong Amateur Open champion. 

Winner seven years ago at the Manila Golf Club, the top ICTSI-backed bet bogeyed the first two holes, birdied No. 9 but dropped three straight strokes from No. 12 before knocking down a six-foot birdie-putt on No. 15.

“Honestly I wasn’t expecting to play this well considering that I really played bad in the last tournament I joined just a few days ago,” said Agojo, who finished sixth in last Sunday’s Philippine Amateur Championship won by teammate Lovelynn Guioguio.

Guioguio lost her poise with a bogey-triple bogey windup, tumbling down to joint 11th at 79, five strokes off Lee, who is seeking to become the first Korean to rule the country’s premier ladies championship sponsored by Champion Infinity and presented by Pacsports.

Two strokes off Lee were local bets Bianca Pagdanganan, Andie Unson and Princess Superal and Thai Supamas Sangchan, who turned in identical 76s while 2007 champion Yupaporn Kawinpakorn of Thailand shot a 78 in a tie with Amelia Legaspi, Sunshine Baraquiel and Thai Savitree Thavong.

Dottie Ardina, the reigning Queen Sirikit Cup champion tipped as one of the title favorites in the event organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Phils., hobbled with an awful 80 marred by a wet triple-bogey 8 at No. 13. She lay way down in joint 15th with Regine de Guzman and is hard-pressed to bounce back with a low round today to remain in the hunt for her first Open crown.

Diamond Motors and Mitsubishi Motors are putting up brand-new cars for hole-in-one feats in the tournament backed by Mizuno and Titleist as the other ace sponsors, Duty Free Phils., Purefoods, San Miguel Corp., and Philippine Daily Inquirer, Omnisource, Coca-Cola, ABS-CBN, Alabang Ladies, Bailey’s Burger King, Canlubang Ladies, De Capricho Jewellers, EEI, Forest Hills Ladies, Green Cross, Holiday Inn, Jardin San Antonio Memorial Park, Malarayat Ladies, Mancare Health Systems, Inc., Manila Golf Ladies, Megaforce Security and Allied Services, Inc., Mills, Nescafe, RCBC, Southwoods Ladies, Sta. Elena Ladies, Tagaytay Highlands Ladies, Tres Palmas, Waterworld Trading Corp., Villamor Golf Club Ladies Chapter and A Round of Golf.