Heidi, chief rivals forge ahead

Not much changed this year for Heidi Chua.

Despite an ‘not too serious’ buildup for her defense of the Philippine Ladies Open crown, Chua still managed to churn out a three-over par 74, enough to catch the former champion Aileen Rose Yao and prodigy Jayvie Agojo at the helm at the start of the rain-drenched championship at the posh Manila Golf club yesterday.

A par on the par-5 18th she amazingly saved from a couple of playouts from under the trees capped an otherwise up-and-down card of 38-36 as Chua set in motion her bid for back-to-back championship over practically the same field she beat the last time up back at her home course at Wack Wack.

"Golf is a game where everybody has a chance. But definitely, I will go out and try to defend my crown," said the 26-year-old Chua, who admitted having taken a month and a half-long break from the game during the yearend holidays and only had a couple of practice rounds heading into the event she won via come-from-behind fashion over fellow national teammates Yao and Ria Denise Quiazon last year.

Manila Southwoods’ Lora Roberto likewise fashioned out a three-over par 74 card in one of the late afternoon flights to make it a four-way tie in the event sponsored by Pagcor, PCSO, ICTSI, Nestle, PLDT, Rustan’s, International Distillery, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Golden Donuts, Sentry, RCBC, Crucible Gallery, Prudential Guarantee and Assurance Inc., Gerry Handog, Jun Agojo, Dave Floro and Albert Yao.

Lucy Landicho, playing out of Canlubang, carded a 75, the same output put in by Betty Ng of Hong Kong. Eva Yoe, another bet from Hong Kong, shot a 77 for solo seventh while Lina de Guzman, another standout from Canlubang, had an 80.

Quiazon also shot herself in the foot with an 80, nine over par at the par 71 layout, and left as quickly as she signed her scorecard.

But Yao, the 20-year-old former jungolf standout who won this event in 2001, and Agojo, who marked the year 2002 with several ‘first’ in RP junior golf history to emerge the top PSA awardee in the sport, waited to watch Chua come up with that scrambling yet spectacular finish.

Agojo, her fragile frame belying her power off the tee, actually came out spewing fire with a two-under par card after eight holes, thanks to back-to-back birdies from No. 2. But a double-bogey on the par-4 9th from an errant approach shot slowed her down before fumbling with another double-bogey mishap on the 10th and a three-putt bogey on the par-3 11th.

She, however, birdied the par-3 14th but bogeyed No. 17 before coming through, like Chua, with an equally remarkable closing par where her approach punch shot bounced off the fairway after hitting a tree for that 36-38 card.

Like Agojo, Yao had a fine start in an otherwise dusky day in this event organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Phils. and which drew players from Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, United States, England, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, going one under after a gimme birdie on the par-5 7th. But she dropped four strokes on the next three holes, includig a double bogey on the par 3 11th where she three-putted from six feet.

She somehow made up for those misadventures by saving pars on Nos. 13 and 14 before coming through with a chip-in par on No. 17 to save a round of 36 and 38.