Pinay golfers fine-tune game for Sirikit Cup

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine ladies team primes up for the Queen Sirikit Cup as it competes in the Thailand Ladies Amateur Open Golf Championship beginning today at the Bangkok Golf Club in Thailand.

Reigning RP Ladies Open champion Louise Manalo heads the five-player contingent raring to slug it out with some of the best players in the region, including the Thailand national team led by the fancied Yupaporn Kawinpakorn.

Manalo, who beat US-based Dottie Ardina and Korean Shine Lee to win this year’s RP Ladies at Southwoods, will have her hands full right in the opening round of the 54-hole championship as she is paired with local bets Kurika Srisomrit and Pinrath Loomboonruang in the 7:54 a.m. flight.

Chihiro Ikeda, Anya Tanpinco, Sarah Ababa and Cyna Rodriguez are the other ICTSI-backed players in the 102-player fold that also includes Lovelyn Guioguio, Eva Miñoza, Karen Buenaventura and Marife Carmichael.

Manalo, Ikeda and Rodriguez make up the RP team vying for top honors in the Queek Sirikit Cup, also known as the Asia-Pacific Ladies Championship slated April 1-3 in Bali, Indonesia.

The troika also formed the RP squad that placed sixth in last year’s Queen Sirikit Cup ruled by Korea in Japan.