Ikeda rolls to 7-shot romp in HK Am

MANILA, Philippines - Chihiro Ikeda picked up her fourth victory in the season with a dominating performance in the Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur Championship, winning the crown by seven strokes off Yang Jia Xin of China with a closing 73 at the Discovery Bay Golf Club in Hong Kong over the weekend.

Ikeda, who leaned on a birdie-eagle windup to open a five-shot lead in the second round Thursday, had three bogeys against two birdies in another challenging day at the Diamond and Ruby courses. But all her pursuers failed to make a final round charge, enabling the mainstay of the ICTSI golf squad to cruise to the victory.

She assembled a 216, including a three-under 69 in the first round that netted her the lead which she never relinquished with superb shotmaking and steady putting the rest of the way.

Yang also carded a 73 and nipped Hong Kong’s Stephanie Ho, who turned in a 74, in the countback for runner-up honors. Both had 223s.

The win was Ikeda’s fourth in the season as she also ruled the Mission Hills Open on the FCWT circuit, the DHL Amateur Open in Canlubang and the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida.

Ikeda’s teammate Anya Tanpinco carded a 74 and wound up seventh with a 229 although the former two-time national champion ran away with the Mid-Amateur title on a stirring 18-shot rout of Thailand’s Fiona Zimmerman, who had a 247 after an 80.

Marvi Monsalve, also of RP, finished 12th with a 240 after a 78 while Daniella Uy shot an 80 and wound up joint 13th with a 241.