Ilas completes fiery romp for nine-shot Ambank win

MANILA, Philippines – Bernice Olivarez-Ilas continued her recovery from a recent injury as she won the Ambank-Sport Excel International Junior Championship in emphatic fashion, beating Malaysian Winning Ng by nine on a one-over 73 at the Templer Park Country Club in Selangor, Malaysia late Thursday.

Ilas mixed one birdie with two late bogeys but the young The Country Club ace still won the girls’ 13-14 crown pulling away as Ng and the rest of the field closed out the way they started it – in struggling form at the tough, hilly par-72 layout.

“Bernice has recovered from her injury early this year and she played excellent this week given the adverse playing conditions,” said TCC coach Bong Lopez. “I expect her to get better in her next tournaments.”

Ilas nursed a one-shot lead after an opening 74 but pulled away by five with a gutsy 73 in the second round then coasted to victory with another one-over card for a 220 total. Ng failed to familiarize herself with the course and finished with back-to-back 77s for a 229.

Selina Li of Hong Kong made a 76 and placed third with a 236.

But while Ilas completed her title romp, fancied Princess Superal fell short of her bid in the premier 15-18 division, bowing to Ashley Lau in the second playoff hole.

Superal, one down after two rounds, rallied with a two-under 70 to force a playoff at 216 with Lau, who finished with a 71 in the 54-hole tournament which drew participants from Thailand, India, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Both players made regulation par on the first extra hole on No. 18 before the match was called off due to heavy rain. At resumption, Superal hit an errant drive and limped with a double-bogey, enabling Lau to run away with the title with a par.

Superal also settled for second in team play in partnership with India’s Arjun Prasad.

Over in Thailand, Sam Martirez and newly crowned Thailand Ladies Amateur champion Pauline del Rosario struggled with 75 and 79, respectively, to fall behind Taiwanese Hsuan Chen and Taglao Jeerav of Thailand, who sizzled with identical 68s in the first round of the Thailand Junior World Championship.