Ilas finishes third in Hong Kong Ladies Amateur

MANILA, Philippines – Bernice Olivarez Ilas muffed crucial putts in the closing holes and lost by one to Taiwanese Thseng Tsai Ching in the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open at the Clearwater Bay Golf Club late Friday.

Ilas, who bounced back from an opening 80 with the day’s best 71 in the second round, pulled to within one in the early going but fell short of her bid with missed putts at finish, settling for a 74.

The Country Club mainstay, who won a pro tournament back home last April, wound up with a 225 and also lost to Chen Hsuan, also of Chinese-Taipei, in the countback for runner-up honors.

Thseng actually fumbled with a 75 but it proved enough to hold off Chen and Ilas, winning the crown won by former TCC spearhead Princess Superal early this year on a 224 aggregate.