Piccio misses quarter seat at Pinehurst

MANILA, Philippines - Mia Piccio flubbed an eight-foot par putt on the 22nd hole and lost to Emma Lavy of Arizona in their Last 16 duel in the match play event in the 108th North and South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina Thursday.

It was a sorry setback for Piccio, who looked in superb form when she bundled out Joy Kim of Virginia, 5&4, in the morning second round match. She fought back with back-to-back birdies from No. 4 to draw level with Lavy in the early going then went 2-up with another birdie and a par on Nos. 7 and 8, respectively.

The top ICTSI golf scholar set up a tap-in birdie on the par-4 11th but Lavy came through with a superb approach shot from 140 yards that went in for an eagle, cutting Piccio’s lead instead to one hole.

Both players parred the next six holes before Piccio missed the green on the 18th and made a bogey, enabling Lavy to extend the match with a routine par. The duo parred the first three playoff holes.

The three other ICTSI bets were knocked off right in the first round with Chihiro Ikeda absorbing a 5&4 rout from Marina Alex, Bambee de la Paz dropping a 3&1 decision to Courtney Gunter, and reigning RP Ladies Open champion Cyna Rodriguez losing to Marisa Steen, 4&2.