Mid-round miscues stymie Guce’s title drive; Kim triumphs

MANILA, Philippines — Clariss Guce came out firing in the final round of the IOC Golf Classic in Longwood, Florida, but a series of crucial setbacks late on the front nine denied her a shot at the title.

The two-time Epson Tour champion settled for a tie at third place, as American Gina Kim emerged victorious with a final-round 68 to finish at 11-under 202 at the par-71 Alaqua Country Club on Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Guce had positioned herself well early on, carding birdies on holes 3 and 7 to reach 8-under overall. At one point, she had pulled within one shot of Kim after seven holes, keeping her championship hopes alive.

However, consecutive bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 proved costly, halting her momentum and putting her in catch-up mode for the remainder of the round.

Despite an attempt to rally with birdies on Nos. 13 and 15, another bogey on the par-3 17th ultimately sealed her fate. She closed with a final-round 70 (35-35) for a three-day total of 206 (-7), sharing third place with Dana Fall, who matched par with a 71.

Guce moved into strong contention with a second round 66, pulling within two strokes off Kim.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Minji Kang mounted an impressive charge, firing a final-round 67 to finish at 10-under 203, falling just one stroke shy of forcing a playoff.

Pauline del Rosario, another Filipina competing in the Epson Tour circuit, saw her tournament hopes dwindle after a challenging final round. Despite a strong 69 in the second round, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker struggled on Sunday, carding a 75 that included a birdie-less 39 on the back nine. She finished at 2-over 215, placing in a tie for 51st place.