Del Rosario leads Phl charge with 69

STA. ROSA, Laguna — Pauline del Rosario led the charge for the struggling Philippine contingent, battling the demanding layout of The Country Club to card a hard-earned 69, placing her just two strokes behind Korean Seong Eunjeong at the start of the ICTSI Worldwide Link Philippine Ladies Masters 2025 on Wednesday.

Seong recovered from a late setback on the par-5 eighth, closing with a birdie on the ninth to secure a five-under 67 in one of the final flights of the day. On a scorching day where the leaderboard constantly shifted, Seong’s steady play positioned her as the surprise solo leader, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the competition.

“I started strong and finished well,” said Seong, who thrived in her debut at the TCC. Having lived in the country for 15 years and frequently playing at Riviera near her home in Silang, she added, “But this course is really tough.”

After a shaky stretch on the front nine, Del Rosario showcased a stellar comeback, birdieing the last two holes to salvage a 34-35 card. Her clutch finish secured her a tie for sixth place, with most of the local players struggling under the course’s punishing conditions.

“I didn’t do anything special to prepare for this tournament,” said Del Rosario, who finished tied for 11th in Jakarta. “I just took a week off after the Indonesian Open and stuck to my usual routine — range practice and short game work.”

The first Filipina to win on the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) in 2017, Del Rosario got off to an impressive start with three birdies against a bogey in her first 11 holes from the back nine of the 6,337-yard layout. She positioned herself among the early frontrunners before stumbling with a bogey on the tough par-4 fifth hole, momentarily slipping down the leaderboard.

Undeterred, she regained her composure with two steady pars before mounting a strong comeback. On the par-5 eighth, she skillfully approached from 25 yards to within six feet, confidently sinking the putt. She followed up with another clutch six-footer on No. 9 after a precise 130-yard approach, firmly re-establishing herself among the top contenders in the $200,000 tournament.

Coming off a 20th-place finish in Indonesia, Seong made an early statement by birdieing the first two holes at the back, then shining on the course’s signature island green par-3 17th, finishing her opening nine with a 33.

She carried her momentum into the front nine with birdies on Nos. 1 and 4, defying the odds and overcoming the challenges of the demanding TCC layout. Although she found herself in a fairway bunker on the par-5 No. 8, she played out but then dumped her third shot into the greenside bunker, resulting in her first bogey. Unfazed, the 25-year-old demonstrated resilience, responding with two strong shots on the ninth to set up and convert a crucial birdie, seizing the early lead.

Pattharat Rattanawan also posted a five-under card after 15 holes, featuring six birdies against one bogey. However, a costly bogey on the 17th hole derailed her momentum, allowing Seong to take solo control of the lead.

Rattanawan ended up with a 68, slipping to joint second with Parinda Phokan, fellow Thai Nook Sukapan, and Korean Kim Nahyun. Han Nakyoung, also from Korea, made a birdie on the ninth to save a 69 and join Del Rosario in a tie for sixth.

Phokan came agonizingly close to seizing the outright lead but faltered on the demanding par-4 18th with a three-putt miscue, settling for a 68. The late bogey dampened her momentum in this fiercely competitive event, where confidence is key.

“My driving was strong, and my short game was nearly flawless, with an impressive up-and-down success rate,” said Phokan, whose birdie on the par-3 11th fueled her strong start.

She praised the course, calling it “near-perfect,” and added, “The fairways and greens are in excellent condition — almost perfect.”

Kim Nahyun made the most of the early morning conditions, thriving in the calm atmosphere to post a 68. Sukapan birdied three of her final four holes on the front nine, finishing with a 33-35 to create a crowded leaderboard.

Korean Son Yeonjung stole the spotlight with a hole-in-one on the 125-yard, par-3 sixth hole, using a pitching wedge and a Bridgestone ball No. 1. She earned a $300 prize from the co-organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., along with a trophy, a TCC cap, and a polo shirt from the host club.

Son had earlier birdied the first hole and closed out her dominant frontside stint with another birdie on the ninth for a 32. Another birdie on the par-5 10th propelled her to the lead at five-under, but she quickly fell off the leaderboard after bogeying the 11th and dropping two strokes on the next.

She finished with a 70, sharing eighth place with Pakin Kawinpakorn, Kim Ahyeon, Lee Sujeong, Mind Muangkhumsakul, Park Eji, Green Poruangrong, Onkanok Soisuwan, Navaporn Soontreeyapas, and TLPGA’s No. 4 Wang Li-ning, just three strokes off the pace.

How the Filipinas fared:

69 — Pauline del Rosario

71 — Florence Yvon Bisera

72 — Mikha Fortuna, Daniella Uy

74 — Kalya Nocum

75 — Chanelle Avaricio

76 — Sarah Ababa, Dottie Ardina, Kristine Fleetwood

77 — Rev Lizbeth Alcantara, Samantha Bruce,

78 — Marvi Monsalve, Lisa Sarines (am), Lois Kaye Go

80 — Gretchen Villacencio

81 — Princess Superal

82 — Sunshine Baraquiel, Juliane Garlan (am), Mona Sarines (am)

83 — Mafy Singson

87 — Velinda Castil

88 — Annika Cedo, Chihiro Ikeda

90 — Lucy Landicho.