Jenny bucks shaky start, trails by five

GOLD COAST, Australia–Jenny Rosales bucked a late tee-off time and a bumpy start to salvage an even-par 72 yesterday as she found herself in the top 15 at the start of the rich ANZ Ladies Masters at the Royal Pines Golf Club course here.

That was five strokes adrift of Rachel Teske, the very same player who denied the ace Filipina shotmaker of a breakthrough win in the Giant Eagle Classic in a playoff last year, who sizzled with a five-under 67 at the par 37-35 layout to seize a one-shot lead over Karen Stuppies.

"Two over agad sa first six holes," said Rosales’ swing coach Bong Lopez in a text message to The STAR. "Pero overall maganda ang palo ni Jenny."

Truly, Rosales, the five-time RP Ladies Open champion still searching her first win on the LPGA Tour in four years, played solidly from tee to the putting surface, missing just a couple of fairways and hitting 15 greens with no three putts.

The rigors of playing her first full walking round in a long time slowed down Rosales in the $800,000 event which featured world’s No. 1 Annika Sorensam, who fired a three-under par 69 for third.

"Napagod dahil this is her first walking round this year," added Lopez. "She feels a little bit rusty."

After a slew of pars at the backside, the frontside of her game yesterday, Rosales hooked her drive on No. 15 and wound up bogey, dropped another stroke on the next when he missed the par-3 green.

But Rosales, who finished the LPGA Tour at No. 32 in the money rankings, rolled an eight-footer for birdie on the 17th then knocked in her second and last birdie from seven feet, also on the par-3 No. 5 although she had a number of makeable birdie putts.

"Madami siyang dikit na palo puro inside 10 feet pero hindi pumasok," said Lopez. "Ang masakit nun, wala siyang na-birdie na par-5." — Dante Navarro