CARMONA, Cavite, Philippines — Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung sparkled in cloudy skies and wet condition, outshining local ace Princess Superal with a solid seven-under 65 to wrest a two-stroke lead over Taiwanese amateur Hou Yu-Chiang at the start of the ICTSI Champion Tour at the Manila Southwoods here yesterday.
While majority of the starting 100-player field struggled on the soggy fairways of the Legends course that played longer than its 6543 yardage and its softened, unreceptive greens, Wirairungreung and Hou, who shot a 67, romped off with the day’s two bogey-free rounds as they seized the 1-2 posts in the $75,000 event sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Hou sister Yu-Sang, also an amateur, missed wresting solo third with a bogey on the par-5 17th and dropped to joint third with Thai Chatprapa Siriprakob at 69 while Superal holed out with a birdie to save a 70 for a share of fifth with Taiwanese Lee Hsin and Lee Chia-Pei, Aunchisa Utama and Supamas Sangchan of Thailand and Singapore’s Amelia Wong.
What made Wirairungreung’s feat doubly impressive was she did it on her first foray on a rain-hit course that she said suits her game.
“This is the course I love. My approach shots are good and I like the fairways though it’s wet because I can chop the ball,” said the 23-year-old Wirairungreung, who flashed solid driving and iron play to upstage Superal and Taiwanese Ching Huang in one of the featured threesomes, highlighting her impeccable 32-33 round with superb putting that helped produce seven birdies, including four at the front.
“I really had it going. Even when I’m in trouble, I would recover and make par saves,” said the 5-11 shotmaker from Chiang Rai, winner of two pro events who drilled in four birdies at the front inside 14 feet, birdied Nos. 12 and 13 and capped her sterling round with a nine-footer on the 18th.
Yu-Chiang also turned in a flawless card of 34-33 that kept the 18-year-old Taiwanese in step with Wirairungreung after 12 holes before the Thai, who placed second in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s kickoff leg at Ayala Greenfield last January, birdied No. 13 to take control.