Dominant Koreans all but keep Queen Sirikit crown; Ng rebounds with 74

MANILA, Philippines — Korea all but locked up a successful title defense in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Miyazaki, Japan on Thursday as it delivered another impressive 133, matching its second-round score. The team’s 405 aggregate gave it a commanding 17-stroke lead over host Japan, which tallied a 144 for a 422 total.

Thailand climbed to solo third at 424 after a solid 139 at the Miyazaki Country Club, while China slipped to fourth with 425 after posting a 141. India rounded out the top five at 432 following a 142, with just one round remaining in the four-day Asia-Pacific Women’s Amateur Golf Team Championship.

Korea’s Soomin Oh continued her spectacular run, effectively sealing the individual title after firing a sensational 10-under-par 62. Her round featured 11 birdies against a lone bogey on the par-3 8th, giving her a 54-hole total of 198.

Japan’s Aira Nagasawa trailed 12 shots back at 210 following a 70, while Thailand’s Prim Prachnakorn was one stroke behind at 211 after also carding a 70.

China’s Shiyuan Zhou, who put in a 71, joined Korea’s Hong Sumin, who carded a 71, and Min Seo Jung, who matched par 72, in a tie for fourth at 212, underscoring Korea’s dominance both individually and as a team.

Meanwhile, Reese Ng bounced back from 81-80 rounds with a gutsy two-over-par 74, but her effort wasn't enough to lift Team Philippines from the cellar in the third round of the 45th staging of the annual championship.

Ng showed improved rhythm and resilience early, staying at even par through 13 holes. However, a bogey on the par-3 14th, followed by another dropped shot on the par-4 No. 17, saw her finish with a 36-38 card.

Despite missing several birdie opportunities, her 74 was the team’s best round of the tournament so far.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team couldn’t capitalize. Grace Quintanilla, who had counted with scores of 77 and 78 in the first two rounds under the three-to-play, two-to-count format, faltered badly with an 85. Her round unraveled with one triple bogey and two double bogeys.

That left Lisa Sarines, the 13-year-old Junior PGT standout backed by ICTSI, to count for the second straight day. Sarines followed up her second-round 78 with an 83, marred by a triple bogey and two double bogeys. She also had four bogeys and a lone birdie for a 40-43 effort.

With Ng’s 74 and Sarines’ 83 combining for a 157, Team Philippines posted a three-day total of 471, remaining in 13th and last place, seven strokes behind Vietnam (464), which also turned in a 157.