Lubao, Pampanga – Thai Ornicha Konsunthea sizzled in an early start then bucked the strong wind late in the round to churn out a bogey-free four-under 68 and wrest a two-stroke lead over a late-charging Dottie Ardina and six others at the start of the ICTSI Pradera Verde Ladies Classic here yesterday.
Konsunthea birdied four of the last six holes at the front, spiking his solid start with a near-ace on No. 8 then survived the exacting conditions at the back with a run of pars that put her in front of stellar field with a 32-36 card at the flat but challenging Pradera Verde layout.
“I thought it was a hole-in-one,” said Konsunthea of his superb 9-iron tee-shot on the 146-yard hole. “The wind was strong and the greens are a bit slow. It’s good I made this round.”
While the Bangkok native, who tied for ninth in the opening leg of the 2019 Ladies Philippine Golf Tour season at John Hay last October, leaned on a strong start to seize control on a day before her 22nd birthday, Ardina put on a scorching windup when things got a lot tougher to get back into the mix after blowing a fine start with four bogeys in a seven-hole stretch from No. 5.
But the LPGA Tour-bound ace rallied with a pair of back-to-back birdies from Nos. 14 and 17 to crowd Thais Chonlada Chayanun, Trichat Cheenglab, Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Chankansim Khamborn and Chommapat Pongthanarak and compatriot Princess Superal at second at 70.
“I got caught by the gusts at the back,” said Ardina, who still rose to the challenge and drilled in birdies from long range to wheel back into early contention in her rare stint in the circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Superal missed grabbing solo second with a bogey on No. 14 but remained confident of her chances for a third victory in the year after scoring back-to-back triumphs at the Riviera and Midlands stops of the 2018 LPGT season.
“I’m okay and didn’t have much problem with my game despite the strong wind,” said the 22-year-old former US Girls Junior champion and the newly crowned LPGT Order of Merit winner.
The Thais, however, are all geared up to dominate the P1 million event with Chayanun birdying three of the last seven to string a 36-34 card, Cheenglab gunning down three birdies at the front for a 33-37 round, Khamborn also banking on a solid start of three birdies after 14 holes before dropping a stroke on the next for a 34-36 effort, and Pongthanarak birdying the closing par-5 hole to save a 34-36 card.
Kawinpakorn, the spearhead of the crack Thai crew who won the Beverly Place and Summit Point legs of the 2018 LPGT, birdied Nos. 15 and 16 to likewise join the crowded group with three more Thais – Waralee Atcharek, Preenaphan Poomklay and Arpichaya Yubol – just a stroke adrift with 71s.
Two other local aces, however, also got back into the title hunt after a pair of rollercoaster games with last year’s OOM winner Pauline del Rosario bouncing back with birdies on Nos. 13 and 17 to salvage a 72 and tie former three-time OOM winner Cyna Rodriguez, who also birdied two of the last six for a 38-34 card, and Thais Chatprapa Siriprakob (36-36) and Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro (33-39).
Sangkagaro actually put the best start among the 37-player starting field that included eight amatuers, birdying the first three holes then adding another birdie on No. 5. But she crumbled when the wind started to blow from all over, fumbling with five bogeys in the next 12 holes before birdying the last to salvage a 72 in the 54-hole championship backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.
Meanwhile, club bet Annyka Cayabyab checked a bogey-marred round with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 and led the chase for low amateur honors with a 74, one stroke ahead of Junia Gabasa and Eagle Ace Superal, who squandered a two-under card after 13 holes with two bogeys and a double-bogey in the last five.