Del Rosario surges with 69

TAIWAN — Pauline del Rosario heated up with a 69 on Thursday, countering Mikha Fortuna’s cooled-off 73 as the Epson Tour veteran set her sights on capturing a second LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) championship at the Party Golfers Ladies Open in Hsinchu County on Thursday here.

But defending champion Ling-Jie Chen made it clear she was not surrendering her title easily, her eagle-spiked 67, capped by closing back-to-back birdies, placed her in a tie with Thailand’s Nook Sukapan at nine-under 135.

“I got some lucky breaks,” said Chen, recalling her pitch-in eagle from 117 yards on No. 5.

Heading into the final round with last year’s four-stroke victory in mind, she exudes confidence.

“I believe I can play my best and achieve a solid score. But I’m not focusing too much on the score or on my position as the defending champion,” added Chen, who promised a balanced strategy, blending aggression with cautious play.

Sukapan, keeping her scorecard bogey-free, posted a solid 68, highlighted by two birdies in her last five holes, giving her and Chen a one-stroke lead over PK Kongkraphan heading into the final round of the NT$5 million championship.

“My irons were strong, but putting was tougher than yesterday,” said Sukapan, who enters the final round with measured expectations.

“I have no expectations — anything can happen in these last 18 holes,” she said.

“I’ll stay focused on my game and keep a positive mindset.”

The multi-titled Kongkraphan stayed in contention with a 136, despite a middling 71, as she eyes her fifth TLPGA title this season, including a victory at the ICTSI Luisita International last April.

Wannasiri Sirisampant and Tsai-Ching Tseng delivered a 67 and 70, respectively, to join the tightly packed leaderboard at 137, with Green Poruangrong, also from Thailand, just behind at 138 after a 68, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown at the Lily Golf and Country Club, where smart shot making, precise iron play and deft putting will be critical for the win.

For the Philippines, Del Rosario emerged as the team’s torchbearer. Starting the day at joint 23rd, she climbed to a share of ninth place with a four-under 140, thanks to three birdies in her first seven holes.

Fortuna, who began the day at eighth spot, slid to joint 32nd after struggling with a bogey-laden 75.

“Birdying No. 1 gave me momentum,” said Del Rosario, recalling her 15-footer that jumpstarted her second round. She drilled in a nine-footer on the fifth and added another birdie on the par-5 seventh, a hole she reached in two.

Despite a misstep when she found herself blocked by a tree on the ninth, Del Rosario knocked down another 15-footer for birdie on the 10th and parred the rest in a performance that put her within striking distance of the leaders.

“This course is unpredictable, especially the greens, which are bumpy,” she said.

“So it’s anybody’s game. I just need to stay focused on my own play and tackle this course one hole at a time.”

Fortuna, who had positioned herself well with a 69 on Wednesday, began her second round with a birdie on No. 4. Yet four consecutive bogeys from No. 5 derailed her bid. She salvaged her round with a string of pars on the back nine, but her 75 saw her tumble 24 spots down with a total of 141.

Other Ladies Philippine Golf Tour players faced similar challenges. Chanelle Avaricio posted a 73 to drop to 39th at 145, while Florence Bisera and Mafy Singson matched par-72s and Jiwon Lee shot a 73 as the troika narrowly made the Top 50 and ties cut with 146s.