MANILA, Philippines — Clariss Guce scored a four-under 68 in her strongest start in a long while, standing two strokes off Slovenian Ana Belac at the start of the Carolina Golf Classic at Pinehurst No. 9 course in North Carolina Thursday.
The 30-year-old Guce, who showed a lot of promise after scoring two victories in her rookie season in the Symetra Tour in 2016, banked on her long game to buck an opening hole mishap, hitting four birdies in the next 10 holes, then rebounded from another bogey on No. 13 with back-to-back birdies from No. 15.
“I was just a little apprehensive about my driver, but I felt like today was actually really good,” said Guce, a Cal State Northridge product who moved to California with her family in 2001.
The daughter of a former top Filipino jockey, out to end a string of mediocre finishes, including a missed cut stint in the last Symetra event, shared third place with Taylord Totland.
Dottie Ardina, however, fumbled with a 73 marred by four bogeys to drop to joint 35th in the 72-hole championship.
Meanwhile, Yuka Saso sets out for the Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies golf tournament today at the Musashigaoka Golf Course in Saitama Prefecture.