Ikeda limps to a 76 after fiery start

MANILA, Philippines - Chihiro Ikeda blew a fiery 32 at the front with an awful 44 on her homeward trip as she fumbled with a 76 in the third round of Nell Smithett Cup in Victoria, Australia Wednesday.

Ikeda, who carded 75 and 76 in the first two rounds, opened with a birdie from six feet then strung up three straight from No. 5. But just when the top ICTSI bet thought she had the momentum on her way, she stumbled with four bogeys at the back, including the last three and lost four strokes on the par-4 14th when she drove out of bounds and hit it into the water on her fourth shot.

With a 228 aggregate, Ikeda still moved up to 12th but fell 13 shots of Julia Boland and Ebony Heard heading into the final round of the 72-hole championship.

Heard came through with an eagle-spiked 67 to catch Boland, hobbling with a 73, at the helm at 215, one stroke ahead of Stacy Keating, who had a 216 after a 73.

Back-to-back RP Amateur champion Anya Tanpinco and Louise Manalo, the reigning RP Ladies Open winner, also scored 76s for 229 and 230, respectively, while Sarah Ababa limped home with an 82 to fall in 33rd with a 245.

The tournament serves as part of Manalo and Ikeda’s preparations for the Queen Sirikit Cup slated in Bali, Indonesia next month.