Rosales slides; Lunke is lucky

Jennifer Rosales made 38 putts in a horrendous stint on the tricky putting surface of the Pumpkin Ridge Witch Hollow Course as she bowed out of contention with a five-over par 76 in the third round of the US Women’s Open in North Plains, Oregon Saturday (Sunday).

With a 54-hole aggregate of 219, Rosales slid from a share of 15th to joint 20th with six others, 11 strokes behind new leader Hilary Lunke of the United States who singed the par-71 layout with a three-under par 68 to seize control at 208.

Lunke took a one-shot lead over compatriot Angela Stanford, who turned in a two-under par 69 even as fancied Swede Annika Sorenstam made her move by firing the day’s best score of 67 and leading the 211 scorers who included Korean amateur Aree Song (68) and Jeong Jiang (69).

That was the score expected to come from the 24-year-old Rosales, who showed so much promise after battling back with a gutsy 69 Friday to bounce back from 45th place to joint 15th despite a closing bogey.

But that bogey mishap, it turned out, hinted at the coming of a black Saturday for the five-time RP Ladies Open champion who opened up with back-to-back bogeys, dropped another stroke on No. 6 before fumbling with another pair of bogeys (Nos. 14-15) at the backside without a birdie to show.

Just as she was playing it almost solidly from tee to green, where she hit 10 of 13 fairways and missed the greens just thrice, Rosales lost her putting touch and fumbled with three-putt bogeys, virtually missing her target of at least a top 10 finish in this major event of the LPGA Tour.

"Sumama na naman ang putting. Sayang talaga dahil maganda ang palo niya," Jennifer’s brother Gerald told The STAR in a text message.