PAL ladies interclub: Southwoods-Masters hikes lead

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Southwoods-Masters’ talented youth brigade took charge again and pooled a tournament-best 155 points as it all but wrapped up its sixth straight Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub championship with a whopping 35-point lead over Cebu Country Club in the third round at Camp John Hay Golf Club in Baguio yesterday.

Fifteen-year-old Mikhaela Fortuna put on a three-birdie, three-bogey effort to lead with 54 points while Bernice Olivarez-Ilas, 14, and Sofia Chabon, also 15, turned in 52 and 49 points, respectively, for the Carmona-based squad which totaled 460 points heading to the final round of the four-to-play, three-to-count event.

After a so-so 130-point effort to fall behind by 26 points midway through the annual event put up by PAL, Cebu Country Club posted 146 points but dropped farther behind with 425.

Junia and Irina Gabasa led CCC with 52 and 49 points, respectively while Mary Kim Hong added 45. Ryoko Nagai did not count with 36.

SW-Masters actually caught everyone by surprise when it fielded its three young guns in the third round despite holding a commanding lead at the halfway mark.?

“We thought CCC would field a strong team today. We didn’t want to give up a single point,” said SW-Masters playing captain Marie Claire Ong.

“We’re just hoping that nothing will happen bad to two of my players in the final round,” said Ong.

But Southwoods actually will be led by its best player in today’s final round with Pauline del Rosario, the reigning Thailand Ladies Amateur Open champion and twice runner-up in the recent Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, tipped to better her 56-point output, two-under in stroke play, in the second round.

Meanwhile, Alabang Country Club stayed on top in the Founders division after posting 136 points for 412 overall. Christine Popp led ACC with 47 points and drew 45 points from Jocelyn Garcia and 44  from Diane Jang.?

ACC is 16 shots ahead of Valley Golf South with Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Chapter and Rancho Palos Verdes tied in third spot with identical 357 points.

In the Sportswriters class, Eagle Ridge built a 15-point lead over Camp Aguinaldo with Catalina Neish firing 43 points and Lita Samson and Arlette Dizon adding 42 and 38 points, respectively.?

Eagle Ridge has a three-day total of 369 followed by Aguinaldo 354 and Lady Eagles Australian/New Zealand Golfers 333.

Alabang Ladies Golf Chapter led the Friendship division with 295, 21 points ahead of Wack Wack with Vivian Chua carding 34 points, Rachel Shah adding 31 and Gia Suarez chipping in 30.

Alabang Ladies has 295 points with Wack Wack and Victorias in second and third spot with 274 and 260, respectively.?

Major sponsors of the 72-hole championship include Solar Entertainment Corp., Airbus, Business Mirror, Mareco Broadcasting Network, People Asia and Manila Broadcasting Corp. Other backers are Fonterra, Mega Fiber, Mastercard, Tanduay Distillers and Zalora.