RP ladies hobble in rains for joint 30th

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – The Philippines limped home in biting cold and heavy rains and finished with a 10-over 156 for joint 30th at the start of the Espirito Santo Trophy of the World Amateur Golf Team Championships in Adelaide here yesterday.

Chihiro Ikeda dished out a steady game of two birdies against two bogeys in harsh condition after No. 13 at the par-73 Granger Golf Club’s east layout but dropped three strokes in the last five holes for a 76.

Anya Tanpinco never recovered from a triple-bogey mishap on the opening hole and wound up with two birdies against a double bogey and four bogeys that gave the reigning national champion a seven-over 80.

That 156 put the Philippines in joint 30th with Norway with Louise Manalo, the other ICTSI-backed bet in the team, struggling with a birdie-less 81 on six bogeys and a double bogey and didn’t count in the three-to-play, two-to-count format event which drew 48 countries.

The RP ladies, whose stint is sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Phils., also lost their poise in the face of flightmate Sweden’s fiery charge as the 2006 runners-up sizzled with a stirring record-equalling, nine-under 137, also at GGC’s west course.

Caroline Hedwall bucked a bogey on No. 2 and gunned down seven birdies for a six-under 67 while Anna Nordqvist turned in a three-under 70 for a 137 as the Swedes opened a whopping eight-stroke lead over Spain (145) and 11 ahead over Japan (146), which had 145 and 146, respectively, at the adjacent GGC’s east layout.

So solid was Sweden’s performance as Pernilla Lingberg’s one-under 72 card didn’t count.

The Swedes thus tied a championship mark for lowest score in the first round that is shared by Canada (2004) and Japan (2006) and their eight-stroke lead is the largest in the event’s history, surpassing the five-stroke margin of the USA in 1972 and 1982.

“It was very cold and raining hard but we had a decent start of three-over card after 9 holes. Chihiro, however, bogeyed three of the last five holes and Anya struggled all day although she made a couple of long putts,” said coach Bong Lopez. “But a lot of teams shot over par mainly due to tough condition of the course.”

The Philippines’ regional rivals also struggled in the rains with Malaysia at 37th place with a 158 and Thailand (161) and Singapore (159) tied at 38th with 15-over cards.

The RP girls, whose campaign is sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Airlines as official carrier, Stradcom Corp., Dynamic Sports and LORO Shirts, the official outfitter, went straight to the range to tinker with their driving before spending an hour on the practice green to polish their putting strokes.