Bondad forces 4-way tie despite poor putting

Frances Bondad, hounded by poor putting for the second straight day, leaned on her long game to salvage an even-par 71 and force a four-way tie for the lead heading into the final round of the Aquascutum Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur Championship yesterday at the Hong Kong Golf Club’s New Course in Fanling.

Two flubbed putts from close range ruined Bondad’s round which had she made could’ve given the 17-year-old Aussie-based Filipina shotmaker a big cushion going into the final 18 holes of the 54-hole championship serving as part of the national team’s training for next month’s Southeast Asian Games.

Instead, Bondad, who with US-based Jayvie Agojo will banner the RP team in the biennial games set Nov. 27-Dec. 5 in Manila and three other satellite venues, will have to sweat it out with first round leader Zhou Xiao Xuan of China and the talented pair of Porani Chutichai and Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand, the Philippines’ chief rival in the SEAG, in the final round today.

"Frances played well but she still had two three-putts," said national team coach Bong Lopez, who remains confident his ward will pull it through in the four-player race that has all the trimmings of a classic championship.

Phatlum fought back from a so-so 75 in the first round by firing the day’s best score of two-under par 69 to catch Bondad, Xuan and Chutichai, who finished second here last year.

Xuan struggled with a two-over par 73 after an opening 71 while Chutichai matched Bondad’s rounds for two days to join the hunt for the crown.

But while Bondad, gunning for a second straight title in as many weeks after ruling the RP Amateurs in Bacolod last week, continued to dish out superb games, the other Filipino bets failed to step up with Lora Roberto carding a 73 for a 147, the same output put in by teener Regine de Guzman, who matched par 71.

Anya Tanpinco struggled with a 76 for a 150, Tracy Locsin shot a 75 for a 156 while Carmelette Villaroman hardly improved with a 77 for a 160 in a tie with Debbie de Villa, who had a 79.

Meanwhile, the RP men’s team opens defense of its crown in the Aquascutum Hong Kong Men’s Amateur Championship slated Oct. 26-29, also at Fanling. Jay Bayron, Jun Bernis and Erwin Vinluan combined for 420 to win last year’s team championship with Bayron settling for second after blowing a three-stroke lead in the final round.