Piccio, Rodriguez boost Pinehurst bid

MANILA, Philippines - Mia Piccio and Cyna Rodriguez rebounded with decent rounds to tow two other ICTSI teammates into the third round of the 110th Women’s North and South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst No. 8 in North Carolina Tuesday.

Piccio, who struggled with a 76 Monday, hit back-to-back birdies from No. 4 to cushion the impact of her triple bogey mishap on the par-3 No. 8 and a bogey on the 10th for a 74 as she moved up to joint 29th with Rodriguez and seven others at 150.

Rodriguez, who started the day at 55th after a 78, birdied three of the first seven holes to negate her bogey on No. 2 but wavered with two bogeys at the back and settled for a 72.

Sixty players from a field of 117 advanced to the third round of the stroke play elims with the top 16 advancing to the match play phase set Thursday.

Piccio and Rodriguez stood just three shots behind the 16th placer, confident of clinching berths in the knockout stage with a pair of solid games in the third round.

Jayvie Agojo and Dottie Ardina also made it to the next round but the top ICTSI-backed bets will need to shoot low rounds to crash into the match play phase. Agojo, the reigning Hong Kong Amateur Open champion, carded a second 76 for a 152 while Ardina, winner of two international events this year, hardly recovered from a 78 with a 74 to share 41st place.

Jaye Marie Green of Florida slowed down with a 71 after a 69, enabling Nora Lucas of Illinois to force a tie for the lead at 140 after a 69, one shot ahead of local bet Lori Adams, who fired a 70 for a 141.

Sarah Ababa and Lovelynn Guioguio bowed out of the race with a 158 and 163 after a 76 and 86, respectively.