Blazing finish nets Agojo Thai LPGA crown

MANILA, Philippines - Jayvie Agojo put on a fiery windup to fire a four-under 68 and nip three others by one to rule the rain-hit seventh Singha-Sat Thai LPGA Championship and annex her maiden pro victory at the Watermill Golf and Garden Golf Club in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand yesterday.

Agojo rattled off four birdies at the backside to finish with a 36-32 card, battling back from three strokes down to snatch the crown at seven-under 137 in the event reduced to 36 holes due to inclement weather. She won 71,900 THB (around P100,000).

“Actually, I just wanted to make the cut. But I played great today (yesterday). After some bad shots in the first few holes, I managed to hit birdies at the back. I putted real well,” said Agojo.

The former Philippine Ladies Open champion and the current Order of Merit leader on the inaugural Ladies Philippine Golf Tour shot a 69 in the first round but stood three strokes behind Vietnam’s Tang Thi Nhung, who sizzled with a six-under 66.

Agojo fell farther back with a bogey on No. 1 in the final round and trailed Nhung, who made the turn at 34, by five after a 36. But she birdied the par-3 No. 11, added two more on Nos. 14 and 15 before closing out with an eight-footer for birdie on the 17th to cap her scorching finish.

“My wish was to nail at least a win this year,” said Agojo, who had a runner-up finish and three fifth-place efforts in her first four tournaments as a pro at the LPGT. “But I didn’t expect that I’ll get this win here.”

While Agojo sizzled at the finish, Nhung wilted under pressure and fumbled with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 15 to finish with a 72, settling for second at 138, with Thailand’s Pavarisa Yoktuan and Kanpahnitnan Muangkhumsakul, who both shot 68s.

Yoktuan, who carded a 70 Thursday, turned in a bogey-free 34-34 card, including a closing birdie, while Muangkhumsakul, missed forcing a playoff Agojo with a bogey on the final hole for a 33-35 card.

Lovelynn Guioguio had a 78 and wound up way down in 37th at 155 while Sarah Ababa also had a 78 and ended up 40th at 158.