Heidi extends reign down south

CEBU CITY — Winning has becoming a habit for Heidi Chua.

The Wack Wack bet added the Southern Ladies Open to her growing list of victories as she outduelled Lora Roberto then thwarted Carmelette Villaroman’s rally to rule the country’s oldest event for lady amateurs at the Cebu Country Club here yesterday.

The 26-year-old Chua failed to achieve her game plan for the day–shoot an even-par or better–but her one-over-par 73, equivalent to 53 points under the Molave system, was enough to win for her the crown and firmed up her claim as the country’s foremost lady amateur.

"My dream has been finally fulfilled," said Chua, who finished with a 54-hole aggregate of 156 points. "I wanted to win the first three tournaments last year but I failed."

Chua earlier won the Philippine Ladies Open at the Manila Golf Club last month before and the DHL-NGAP Open at Canlubang.

Chua won the Southern Ladies in her rookie year at Pueblo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro in 2000, repeating the trick in Bacolod in 2001. She finished second behind Lina de Guzman last year at Del Monte Bukidnon.

She actually joined the professional Kosaido Cup in Malaysia after the DHL-NGAP Open, finishing fairly well as she made the cut and eventually winding up 30th in a field that virtually included Asia’s best pros ad amateurs.

Tied with Roberto for the first two rounds, Chua fell by one after five holes but Roberto triple-bogeyed the par-4 No. 6 when she dumped her approach shot into the water hazard and three-putted from 40 feet.

"Behind iyong second shot ko," said Roberto, the 23-year-old Southwoods mainstay. "I’m sad but of course this is not the end of the road for me."

She finished with an 80 or 46 points for 149 and fell fourth place behind Villaroman (69 or 57 points for 153) and de Guzman (75 or 51 points for 152).

"I need more tournaments to toughen up my mental game," said Roberto, who like Chua is being coached by former national team mentor Bong Lopez. "I might leave for the United States shortly to join tournaments there."

The event was organized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and sponsored by PAL, the Philippine Sports Commission, DHL Worldwide Express/WWW Express, Marriott Hotel-Cebu, Petron, San Miguel Corporation, Smart Communications, Mitsubishi Motors Phil., Nike, Hidden Spring, Perrier and Gopez Corporation.