Del Rosario bags Long Beach plum

MANILA, Philippines - Pauline del Rosario kept Team ICTSI’s win run going in the US, topping the Long Beach Women’s City Championship with a closing two-under 70 at Skylinks Golf Club for a four-stroke victory over Cara Barker in California Saturday.

Del Rosario, a Junior World champion (13-14) last year, put on a strong finishing kick to dominate the field and completed her wire-to-wire victory in the 54-hole tournament played over three courses.

The Team ICTSI standout matched par 72 at El Dorado in the first day then shot a three-under 71 over the par-74 Recreation Golf Club in the second round. Just one-up over Madchen Ly after 12 holes, Del Rosario birdied No. 13 from six feet then rolled in a seven-footer for another birdie on the 17th to beat Barker by four.

Barker charged back with a seven-under 65 to snatch second place at 217 while Ly limped with a 74 and wound up tied for third with Kailey Walsh, who carded a 72, at 218.

Mikhaela Fortuna, another Team ICTSI mainstay, finished eighth at 222 after a 72.

The victory came on the heels of Princess Superal’s first-place finish at US Girls Sectional Qualifying in Missouri and Sofia Chabon’s topping of the Junior World elims, also in California.