Lee bucks tough conditions to pace ICTSI Splendido Taal Championship opener

LAUREL, Batangas – Young Jiwon Lee lived up to her promise and potential, overcoming a late stumble with a crucial birdie on the last hole, salvaging a 73 and a one-stroke lead over Florence Bisera after the first 18 holes of the ICTSI Splendido Taal Championship here Tuesday.

Building on her previous success at the Lakewood Championship, which she won as an amateur, Lee took charge midway through the round with a frontside 35. However, she encountered challenges with bogeys on Nos. 13, 15, and 17, exposing some vulnerabilities in the game of the 16-year-old Korean.

Nevertheless, Lee regained her composure and birdied the tough finishing hole to separate herself from flightmate Bisera, who had mounted her own comeback with back-to-back birdies from No. 15. The Davaoeña finished with a 74, securing her position as the main challenger in the 54-hole championship put up by ICTSI.

“I really wanted to finish at two-under today after a strong frontside 35. But unfortunately, I made several bogeys on the back nine. The greens were very challenging,” said Lee.

The change in weather also impacted her performance, differing from her experience when she won the Junior PGT Luzon Series 1 last May.

“With the rainy weather, the ground is very soft, and the greens don’t offer much roll. The course plays longer under these conditions, making it more difficult,” Lee said.

Boasting drives of 240-250 yards, Lee plans to improve in the next two rounds, emphasizing the importance of staying on the fairways to avoid the difficulties of the rough.

Marvi Monsalve, who initially led with a birdie on No. 10, stayed close to Lee despite bogeys on Nos. 16, 18 and 1. She battled through the winds and birdied Nos. 2 and 7 but faltered with a double bogey on the ninth, missing a chance to share the lead.

“The weather is very challenging, with constantly changing wind directions,” said Monsalve, who fell to joint third with Chihiro Ikeda, who recorded a 38-37.

Mikha Fortuna briefly held the lead with an even-par score after 12 holes. However, the Match Play Championship winner last year struggled with the challenges of Splendido Taal, bogeying four of the last six holes to finish with a 76, tying for fifth with Kayla Nocum.

Nocum, who had a promising start with a one-over card after 10 holes, also stumbled in the final stretch, conceding three strokes in the last five holes for a pair of 38s.

Mafy Singson, the 2022 event winner while playing as an amateur, birdied the second hole to spark hopes of an explosive start. However, she made three bogeys in the next six holes.

Although she birdied the ninth, Singson settled for pars in the last two long holes on Nos. 10 and 11 and finished with four bogeys in the last seven holes for a 77. She tied for seventh with Sarah Ababa and Rev Alcantara, while Pamela Mariano and Gretchen Villacencio matched 78s.

Harmie Constantino, who had won three straight LPGT titles at Palos Verdes, Caliraya Springs and Philippine Masters, started strong with three birdies against a bogey in the first seven holes.

However, a triple-bogey on No. 9 derailed her momentum. She failed to recover and struggled on the back nine, playing six-over with four bogeys and a double bogey on No. 13.

She finished with a 79, tying with Laurea Duque at 12th, six strokes behind Lee. Despite the setback, she is expected to unleash a strong charge in the last two rounds of the P750,000 tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.