STA. Rosa, Laguna – Pauline del Rosario carried the fight for the struggling Philippine contingent, battling through the demanding layout of The Country Club to card a hard-earned 69, placing her just one stroke off the clubhouse leaders at the start of the ICTSI Worldwide Link Philippine Ladies Masters 2025 here on Wednesday.
After a shaky stretch on the front nine, the backside of her game, Del Rosario closed in spectacular fashion, birdieing the last two holes to salvage a 34-35 card. Her clutch finish secured her a provisional of sixth place as most of the local bets faltered under the course’s punishing conditions.
“I didn’t do anything special to prepare for this tournament,” said Del Rosario, who finished tied for 11th in Jakarta. “I just took a week off after the Indonesian Open and stuck to my usual routine – range practice and short game work.”
The first Filipina to win on the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) in 2017, Del Rosario got off to an impressive start with three birdies against a bogey in her first 11 holes from the back nine of the 6,337-yard layout. She positioned herself among the early frontrunners before stumbling with a bogey on the tough par-4 fifth hole, momentarily slipping down the leaderboard.
Undeterred, she regained her composure with two steady pars before mounting a strong comeback. At the par-5 eighth, she skillfully hacked her approach from 25 yards to within six feet and confidently sank the putt. She followed up with another clutch six-footer on No. 9 after a precise 130-yard approach, firmly re-establishing herself among the top contenders in the $200,000 tournament.
Thai Parinda Phokan came agonizingly close to seizing the outright lead but faltered on the demanding par-4 18th with a three-putt miscue, settling for a 68 in what could have been a commanding start to the championship. The late bogey dampened her momentum in this fiercely competitive event, where confidence is key.
“My driving was strong, and my short game was nearly flawless, with an impressive up-and-down success rate,” said Phokan, whose birdie-blast on the par-3 11th fueled her blazing start.
She praised the course, calling it “near-perfect,” and added, “The fairways and greens are in excellent condition – almost perfect.”
Kim Nahyun took full advantage of the early morning conditions, thriving in the calm atmosphere to fire a 68 for a clubhouse share of the lead with Phokan with 17 flights still to complete play at presstime.
They include Chanelle Avaricio and Florence Bisera, who carded one-under rounds after 12 and 15 holes, respectively, for joint 19th, while Mikha Fortuna matched par 72 for a share of 27th spot.
Meanwhile, Kayla Nocum had an even-par card after 12 holes, while Marvi Monsalve and Kristine Fleetwood posted one-over rounds after 12 and 15 holes, respectively.
Pro-am winner Daniella Uy shot three birdies but offset them with three bogeys, finishing with an even-par 72, trailing the leaders by four strokes.
Reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion Harmie Constantino withdrew after 12 holes due to illness, following the earlier withdrawal of top Thai player PK Kongkraphan. Both players exited the last of two legs of the Korean Dream Tour series.
Kim opened strong with two birdies in her first four holes at the back, then rebounded from a setback on the 16th with a scorching run of three birdies in the first five holes at the front.
However, it was her clutch par save on No. 11 that defined her round, keeping her in contention for the 54-hole championship held in collaboration with the Korean LPGA, the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT).
“Most of my shots were great today (Wednesday), but I think my second hole on the back nine was the highlight of my round,” said Kim, who recovered from an errant tee shot with a spectacular up-and-down on the par-3 11th.
After a disappointing finish in the Indonesian Open last month, Kim committed to intense training, and the results showed in her Philippine debut.
“This is my first time playing in the Philippines. I was disappointed with my last tournament in Indonesia, but I worked hard in practice, and today’s performance was a great result,” she added.
Phokan, one of the standouts from the morning wave, got off to a hot start with three birdies in the first eight holes. She added another on the par-3 11th and continued her charge with a birdie on the par-5 14th, putting herself in prime position to take control of the tournament.
With the majority of the 130-player field battling the challenges of the unforgiving TCC layout, Phokan looked poised to dominate the opening round of the 54-hole championship. However, after three pars, she stumbled on the tricky final hole, carding a bogey that denied her sole possession of the lead.
A two-time winner on the TLPGA, Phokan, however, remained a strong contender, eager to build on her solid start and contend for the title.
But her last-hole mishap created a crowded leaderboard with Green Poruangrong and fellow Thai Pattharat Rattanawan and Korean Seong Eunjeong all posting four-under cards after 15 holes.
Del Rosario emerged as the lone Filipina within striking distance of the leaders after compatriots Pamela Mariano and Dottie Ardina lost steam and finished over par.
Mariano, who initially showed promise with birdies on two of the long holes (Nos. 10 and 14), struggled to maintain momentum and wound up with a 78, placing her in a tie for 111 with the Top 60 and ties advancing to the final round.
Ardina, after a steady start with three straight pars at the back, failed to recover from two bogeys and a double bogey, finishing with a birdie-less 76 to share 61st place.
Princess Superal also faced a tough challenge, slipping down the standings after a string of bogeys. After three opening pars at the front, she dropped shots on Nos. 4 and 5, before conceding further strokes on Nos. 7, 11 and 12.
But with an impressive frontside finish, Del Rosario remains the Philippines’ best hope for a strong finish, eager to build on her momentum in the next two rounds of the event co-organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
