Del Rosario struggles to cash in on mid-round surge, cards 71

MANILA, Philippines -- Pauline del Rosario showed flashes of brilliance but couldn’t maintain momentum, finishing with a one-under-par 71 in the Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic in Alabama on Friday (Saturday Manila time).

She found herself six shots behind the trio of leaders after 18 holes.

Starting from the back nine of the Ol’ Colony Golf Complex in Tuscaloosa, del Rosario bounced back after an early bogey on the par-4 13th, making birdies on the par-5 14th and the tricky par-3 17th.

The ICTSI-backed pro then built on her rhythm as she added another birdie on the par-5 3rd, displaying her power and precision on the long holes.

However, missed opportunities began to mount. Del Rosario couldn’t capitalize on the par-5 seventh, where she failed to make birdie, and her round ended with a disappointing bogey on the ninth, after an unsuccessful up-and-down attempt.

As a result, she dropped into a tie for 40th with 12 other players, six strokes behind the leading pack with 36 holes still to play in the Epson Tour event.

At the top of the leaderboard, Malaysia’s Ashley Lau impressed with a bogey-free 65, joining American Cydney Clanton and Slovenia’s Ana Belac in a three-way tie for the lead.

They stood two shots clear of a chasing group that includes American Becca Huffer, Germany’s Sophie Hausmann, China’s Siyun Liu, and Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad, a former world No. 1 amateur, who all carded 67s.

Meanwhile, two-time Epson Tour winner Clariss Guce struggled in her opening round, posting a 73 after a two-bogey, one-birdie performance.

Guce is currently below the projected cutoff line of 72, putting her in a challenging position heading into the second round on Saturday.