Avaricio stays in hunt; Arejola fights back

MANILA, Philippines – Chanelle Avaricio birdied the last hole at the Palmer course to break par-71 for the first time in three rounds and bolster her bid in Stage I of the LPGA and Epson Tour Qualifying tournament in Rancho Mirage, California Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time).

Counting her back-to-back 72s at Indian Wells’ Classic course and Mission Hills’ Dinah Shore layout, the Filipina hopeful pooled a 215 for a share of 68th with the Top 95 and ties from those who survived the 54-hole cut (Top 125 and ties) advancing to Stage II of the grueling elims.

Amateur Tomita Arejola also battled back from a 75 at Palmer and a 73 at Indian Wells with a gutsy 69 at Dinah Shore as she put herself back into contention at tied 99th with a 217, just a stroke off the projected cut.

But Lois Kaye Go, Sunshine Baraquiel, Kayla Nocum and Samantha Bruce failed to advance with over-par rounds at various courses.

Go hit two birdies but made three bogeys for a 73 at Indian Wells as the many-time national team mainstay missed the cut by one with 219 aggregate, the same output put in by Baraquiel, who failed to sustain a fine 70 at Indian Wells in the second round with a 74 at Dinah Shore.

Nocum and Bruce matched 74s at Dinah Shore and blew their bids with 220s.

But Avaricio and Arejola will need to produce low scores in the final 18 holes to secure spots in Stage II slated Oct. 17-20 at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.

Avaricio, who has spent the last few months vying on the Epson Tour, has kept her errors to a minimum, posting just four bogeys in three rounds. But the multi-titled campaigner on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour back home needs to shoot more birdies after hitting just five in the same stretch with the chase for precious Stage II berths expected to heat up in the last 18 holes set at Dinah Shore.

She tees off No. 1 at 8:20 a.m. with Alexandra Swayne of Virgin Islands and Jordan O’Brien of Australia, while Arejola launches her drive on No. 10 with Chinese Yuai Ji and Anna Lund of Sweden.

Canadian amateur Savannah Grewai continued to lead the qualifiers with a 66 at Palmer as she took a two-stroke lead at 201 over Japanese Suzuka Yamaguchi, who scored a 203 after matching Grewai’s six-under card, also at the Palmer layout.