Uy fights back with 70

MIAOLI County, Taiwan - Daniella Uy stumbled at the finish and settled for a two-under 70, moving five rungs to joint 15th but falling nine strokes behind local ace Hsieh Yu Ling in the second round of the Party Ladies Golfers Open at the National Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

The former Junior World champion fought back from an opening 74 with birdies in the first three holes but just couldn’t keep her momentum, losing her rhythm a bit and dropping strokes on tough Nos. 6 and 9.

But she recovered her touch and gunned down back-to-back birdies from No. 11 but missed completing a three-under card with another bogey on the 16th for that pair of 35s that gave her a 36-hole total of 144.

Though too far behind new leader Hsieh, who fired a bogey-free 66 to wrest a huge five-stroke lead over compatriot Ching Ling Chang at 135, Uy vowed to put up a stronger finish for at least a crack in the top 10 in this $100,000 event co-sanctioned by Ladies Philippine Golf Tour and sponsored by ICTSI.

Hsieh, who hit four birdies against a bogey in the first round, strung up a pair of 33s at the rolling layout and stormed past a slew of others with Chang moving to solo second at 140 after a 71 and Lee Tai Ling matching par 72 for a 141 in a tie with Chiu Ling Ti and Thai Aripchaya Yubol, winner of the Manila Ladies Masters at Manila Golf last April, who both shot 70s.