Avaricio grabs 1-stroke lead

DAVAO CITY — Chanelle Avaricio isn’t just chasing a trophy this week — she’s chasing peace of mind.

Still smarting from a back-nine collapse that cost her the Del Monte crown last week, Avaricio mounted a gritty rally in the first round of the ICTSI Apo Golf Classic Tuesday here, carving out a gutsy 72 to seize a one-stroke lead and rekindle hopes of redemption.

Her charge came after a stumbling start on the front nine, marred by three bogeys at the demanding Apo Golf and Country Club layout. But true to her reputation as a resilient competitor,

Avaricio flipped the script with a composed and confident finish, birdying three of the final eight holes to claw her way back to the top of the leaderboard in the P1 million championship marred by rain at the finish.

“It’s a difficult course, especially the greens,” said Avaricio, acknowledging the tricky conditions and sweltering heat that tested both skill and stamina.

“I actually hit my irons better at Del Monte than here, but I really tried my best.”

What makes her opening-round lead more compelling is the emotional weight she’s carrying. Just days ago at Del Monte, Avaricio seemed poised for victory until a costly back-nine slide opened the door for Sarah Ababa to steal the win in sudden death. It was a painful loss — but one that Avaricio appears determined to transform into fuel.

“I have no expectations, but I’ll do my best,” she said.

“Hopefully, this time, it will be a great week.”

Standing in her way, however, are not just the challenges of the Apo course, but also a surging local field hungry for their own breakthroughs.

Among them is Mafy Singson, the Eagle Ridge champion earlier this year, who posted a steady 73 to trail Avaricio by just one. Like Avaricio, Singson is also looking to rebound after a disappointing ninth-place finish at Del Monte. She leaned on course familiarity to stay in the hunt, despite an up-and-down round.

“I don’t think there was much difference in my mindset compared to Del Monte, but I’m more familiar with this course,” said Singson, who hails from Davao and grew up playing at Apo.

“Though it’s hot, I tried to stay cool the whole day.”

Singson’s even-keeled finish — a string of eight straight pars — showed her growing maturity, even if she confessed to feeling the fatigue of back-to-back tournaments.

“My body is tired,” she said without elaborating.

“But I’m okay with how it turned out.”

Also in the mix is Apple Fudolin, who briefly held the lead after a fiery mid-round charge that featured three straight birdies from No. 16. She faltered slightly coming home at the front but steadied herself with a birdie on the eighth to salvage a 73 and a share of second place.

“The difference here was really my putting,” said Fudolin, who credited improved green-reading and chemistry with her caddie for her performance.

“My shots at Del Monte and here were the same actually, but this time my stroke clicked.”