Cyna makes US Amateur match play; Dottie falls

MANILA, Philippines – Cyna Rodriguez recovered from a poor first round stint with a gutsy one-over par 72 as she gained a berth in the match play phase of the US Women’s Amateur Championship at the Old Warson Golf and Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri Tuesday.

Rodriguez, who fumbled with a five-over 76 at the start of the 36-hole stroke qualifier Monday, gunned down two birdies against three bogeys in tough conditions and came through with a couple of scrambling pars to salvage a 36-36 round and a spot in the tournament proper with a 148.

A member of the ICTSI golf team, the 17-year-old Rodriguez safely made it to match play in joint 36th with nine others, 10 shots behind low medalist Danielle Kang of California, who shot a 68-138 to beat Jessica Korda of Florida (67) by one.

She takes on Kristen Simpson of Virginia, who tied for 20th after a 72-146, in the first round of the match play.

But while Rodriguez advanced, ICTSI teammate Dottie Ardina missed the 64-player cut at 151, making seven bogeys in a birdie-less 40-38 card for a 154.

Ardina, who also opened with a 76, never found her rhythm and dropped five strokes right in the first nine holes then made two more bogeys at the back while missing a number of birdies putts to finish way behind in joint 89th.

In contrast, Rodriguez, winner of the recent TransAm Open in Texas, buckled down to work early, birdying No. 3 from six feet. She bogeyed two of the next six holes but flashed her resiliency with a birdie on the par-3 13th.

She then rescued a couple of pars in three times that she went out of regulation before dropping another stroke on the 17th. 

Bambee dela Paz also failed to gain with a woeful 84, finishing with a 161.