Ladies pluck bronze in the rain

BUSAN, South Korea – The Philippine ladies team salvaged the bronze as third-running Ria Denise Quiazon faltered in trying conditions -- incessant rains and finger-numbing cold – that swept the Asiad Country Club in the final day Sunday.

The pretty Fil-Am wavered on the front nine with a triple bogey on the fourth hole and the team spent the rest of the day warding off a repeated charge by Chinese Taipei to secure the bronze by four shots.

The 21-year old Quiazon, who plays college golf with the University of California (Berkeley) team, had a closing round of 77 while reigning national champion Heidi Chua put in a 76 for RP’s 603 total. Carmellete Villaroman didn’t count with an 80.

Host Korea rode out the final-day pressure by outplaying Japan and won the gold medal with 577. Japan settled for the silver with 579.

Absorbing one of its worst finishes in the Games, the highly vaunted men’s team needed a strong finish to end up sixth with pro-bound Angelo Que firing a two-under-par 70 and Jerome Delariarte an even-par 72. Juvic Pagunsan had 79 and Marlon Dizon an 84.

The Filipino golfers completed play with 909 while Chinese-Taipei took a runaway victory with 874, beating host Korea by 10 shots. Japan, missing second place by a shot, settled for third with 885.

Sri Lanka, which could only field three players for lack of funds, even beat the Filipinos by finishing fourth in a tie with India (902) with its main man Anura Rohana humbling their fancied rivals to cop the silver in the individual derby.

Another revelation was India’s Shiv Kapur, who claimed the gold with 284. Korea’s Kim Hyun Woo took the bronze with 287.

"We’re happy with our ladies team, at least we were not shut out. Our men did well in the last day but it was too little too late," said Admiral Louie Fernandez, a vice-president of the golf body.

Quiazon was within striking distance of the leaders going into the final day but, after parring the first three holes, she lost her momentum when she hit two bad shots, the first going out-of-bounds, on the fourth hole and she staggered with a triple bogey.

"Two bad swings did me in. I hit OB to the left and my second ball landed on the same spot and I had to punch out because there’s water everywhere and that’s it," she said.

Still, it was a great week for the California-based Quiazon who sizzled with a 72 and a 71 in the second and third rounds after an opening 78.

"The important thing is the team won the bronze since we’ve been winning medals in the Asian Games. I just tried my best," she said.

Chua tried to rally the team early by going two-under par in the first four holes but she bogeyed the fifth and sixth and double-bogeyed the seventh before gaining a stroke with a birdie on the ninth. She had bogeys on the 14th and 15th and finished with another bogey on the 18th.