Del Rosario, Avaricio upbeat as Thai LPGA Masters unwraps

MANILA, Philippines – Pauline del Rosario takes time out from her Epson Tour campaign while Chanelle Avaricio steps up her drive for the LPGA Q-School Stage II as they mix it up with Thailand’s best players in the Thailand LPGA Masters, which gets going Wednesday in Hua Hin.

Del Rosario, who tied for 12th in the recent Four Winds Invitational for her best finish in the LPGA Tour farm league this year, has opted to stay and compete in the region after teaming up with eventual individual winner Princess Superal in the inaugural Asia Pacific Cup in Jakarta last month. She expects to further sharpen her skills and toughen up in the premier Thai event heading to the last four stops of this year’s Epson Tour beginning with the Guardian Championship in Alabama next week.

Avaricio, on the other hand, is building up for next month’s LPGA Q-School Stage II in Florida after finishing tied for 80th in the initial elims in California.

The three-time winner on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour this year actually emerged as the best Filipina bidder after 54 holes at joint 24th but fumbled with a closing 78 and barely made it to the next round of the grueling qualifiers.

Still, she hopes to figure in the title hunt in this week’s Bt4 million championship where the top 50 plus ties will advance to the last two rounds of the season-ending tournament at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Prachaubkirikhan.

Superal was actually set to lead the Filipinas’ charge in the 72-hole event but decided to withdraw to rest after a pair of so-so finishes in the Thailand Mixed and the seventh SAT-TWT Open 2022 Road to World Ranking following her explosive Asia Pacific Cup romp where she beat three LPGA major champions to nail her first victory overseas.

“She’s taking a much-deserved rest but will still undergo training in-between as she prepares to compete in Korea,” said long-time mentor and coach Bong Lopez.

But del Rosario and Avaricio believe they have the tools to measure up with the Thais, to be led by multi-titled Patcharajutar Kongkraphan, who ruled the SAT-TWT Open 2022 Road to World Ranking last week, and the equally in-form former LPGA Tour campaigner Sherman Santiwiwattanaphong, who topped the Thailand Mixed.
Other local aces tipped to contend for the crown are Arpichaya Yubol and Wannasiri Sirisampant, both former LPGT leg winners, Saraporn Chamchoi, Kultida Pramphun and Aunchisa Utama.