Miñoza 13th; Delasin eight shots behind

Not even a closing 68 could bolster Frankie Miñoza’s bid as the Filipino shotmaker missed dishing out a top 10 finish in the Chunichi Crowns golf tournament won by Irishman Darren Clarke at the Nagoya Golf Club Wago course in Togo, Japan yesterday.

After moving within two strokes off the lead in the second round of the $900,000 championship, Miñoza finished in 13th place, no thanks to an atrocious 75 in the third round that came after he shot himself into contention with rounds of 68 and 66.

Clarke coasted to a four-shot victory over Japanese Kejichiro Fukabori and Shinichi Yokota as he fired a 67 to rule the event with a 267 aggregate. Fukabori sizzled with a 66 while Yokota had a 69 to share second place with 271.

In the US, Dorothy Delasin settled for a one-over par 71 and stayed eight strokes behind joint leaders Marisa Baena of Colombia and American Rosie Jones heading into the final round of the LPGA Kathy Ireland Championship Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

The 21-year-old Delasin finally parred the last two holes of the par-70 Onion Creek Club after bogeying them in the first two days but the Fil-Am shotmaker failed to hit birdies like she did earlier and settled for a 36-35 card.

With a 209 aggregate, Delasin stood way behind Jones and Baena, who launched her bid for a first LPGA crown with a 64 and a lead-sharing 201 total with Jones, who had a 68.

Jennifer Rosales blew a two-under card after six holes with a horrendous stint at the back, marred by a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 No. 11. After a 33, Rosales made a 42 for a 75 as she slid to 61st place from 44th.