MANILA, Philippines – Pauline del Rosario missed grabbing the solo lead with a last-hole bogey, but her 68 still lined her up for another crack at the East Coast Women's Pro Golf Tour crown.
So did local bet Jimin Jung, who matched the ace Filipina shotmaker's output for the second straight day to share the solo lead at 137 after 36 holes of play in the Mayfair CC Women’s Championship in Sanford, Florida Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).
Del Rosario's finish was so much unlike her windup in the first round where she birdied the No. 18 of the Mayfair Country Club to card a 69 and grab a share of second but her 36-hole total put her in the same spot as she was last week when she tied for the second round lead, only to wind up fifth with a closing 73 in the final round of the Redtail Women’s Championship in Orlando.
But she’s out to change the script this time although Jung is likewise keen on nailing her first championship in the East Coast Women's Pro Golf Tour after finishing tied for ninth last week, setting the stage for a final round shootout in the fourth leg of the developmental circuit for LPGA aspirants.
Jung fought back from a one-over frontside 36 with four birdies in the last eight holes as she turned in her own version of a three-under round at the par-71 layout and pounced on del Rosario's last-hole miscue to earn a stab at victory in the $60,000 event.
“I need to stay aggressive and I need to do this,” said del Rosario. “The field is playing by burst of momentum, like one who came from nowhere to register a 7-under round.”
The ICTSI-backed del Rosario was referring to Yue Ren, who sizzled with a 64 to rally from the middle of the 57-player pack and catch erstwhile leader Valentina Haupt, who stumbled with a 72, at third at 139, two strokes off the joint leaders.
Payton Schanen and Anita Uwadia matched 141 totals after a 70 and 71, respectively, for joint fifth.
Counting her other birdie on No. 4, Del Rosario appeared headed to dominating the day with a four-under card after 14 holes to take solo control. But she hit a couple of errant shots into the hazards on Nos. 15 and 18 and failed to save par from an average of six feet for bogeys against another birdie on the 17th.
To finally end up on top, del Rosario said: “I need to keep my drives in the fairway, higher percentage from my regulation putts and sink my birdie chances.”
She also stressed the need to stay focused all day to fight off the final round pressure, which she failed to withstand last week.
“There is no time to feel the pressure. When you are in that moment, when you are all focused, you don’t feel the pressure at all,” she said.
It was Haupt who actually lost her poise after holding on to the lead with a one-under card after 11 holes as she bogeyed the next two holes, enabling del Rosario and Jung to storm ahead and set up a shootout for the crown in the fourth leg of the East Coast circuit.
Haupt, who racked up three backside birdies to seize control with a 67 Monday, ended up with a 72 to drop into a joint third with Ren, who battled back from a disastrous opening 74 with four birdies in the first five holes then added four more in the first eight holes at the back. She, however, missing grabbing solo third with a last-hole bogey for a 64.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan, who topped the Redtail Championship, failed to rebound from an opening 72 with a 73 marred by a double bogey and two bogeys in the last five holes as she bowed out of the title race with a 145, eight strokes off the joint leaders.
Needing a solid start to stay in the hunt, Del Rosario banked on her vaunted power game as she dominated all but one of the four par-5s and along with her fourth birdie on No. 4, she took solo control with a running four-under card for a seven-under overall total after 12 holes. But she failed to sustain her charge to the finish, picking up her first bogey on a missed green mishap on No. 15. She quickly regained the stroke with a birdie on the 17th but missed claiming the solo lead with another miscue on the last hole.
Still, it was enough to put her in joint lead for the second straight week, vowing to make the most of her chances to better her tied for third finish in the season-opening Dare The Bear Women’s Championship in Colorado, a joint 13th place in the Rio Pinar Orlando WC in Florida and a fifth place effort at Redtail.