Local bets brace for Champion Tour

Pauline del Rosario Local bets Princess Superal and Pauline del Rosario face aces from Thailand and Taiwan in the ICTSI Champion Tour at Manila Southwoods on Wednesday at the Legends course in Carmona, Cavite.

Del Rosario, the reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner who racked up victories last year, is coming off a joint eighth place effort in the Ladies European Tour Thailand Championship.

That makes her one of the early favorites in the first of two $75,000 TLPGA-sanctioned events with Superal also back from the Symetra Tour to chase a third LPGT crown after romping off with the Tagaytay and Riviera leg titles last March.

“I think I’m more comfortable playing at Southwoods since I’m familiar with the course,” said Del Rosario, back in the local circuit after a grueling campaign on the Taiwan LPGA Tour the last two months.

Cyna Rodriguez is also raring to snap a long title spell in the ICTSI-sponsored circuit she used to dominate while Chihiro Ikeda shoots for a follow-up to her Eagle Ridge victory last February.

Superal, Del Rosario, Rodriguez and Ikeda all prime up for the championship as they lead the select group of pros playing alongside the amateur guests and officials of the event’s chief backers in the pro-am tournament Tuesday.

But the local top guns will be in for three days of battle against a stellar international field, led by three of Taiwan LPGA’s top 10 players, including Lee Hsin, Chen Min-Jou and Lin Tzu-chi, along with Thais Saranporn Langkulgasettrin and Renuka Suksukont, winners of the first two Philippine Ladies Masters.