Lee heads RP Ladies Open foreign roster

MANILA, Philippines - Korean Shine Lee hopes to accomplish what she had failed to do last year – pocket the Philippine Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship crown when the 48th staging of the event is held beginning Jan. 13 at the Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite.

Lee fell short of her title drive last year after putting herself in contention with a tournament-best 69 in the second round, losing in a final round duel with local bet Louise Manalo. She wound up tied for second with Dottie Ardina, also at Southwoods’ Legends layout.

But the 18-year-old Lee is expected to toughen up this time as she spearheads the crack foreign challenge in the 54-hole tournament, the country’s premier ladies championship sponsored by San Miguel Corp. and Nike.

Joining her are fellow Koreans Sun Hae Cho, Mi Yeon Kang and Mingi Kim, Singaporeans Stephanie Loi, Joey Poh and Ko Sock Hwee and Malaysians Geneveuve Ling I-Ryn, Celeste Lo, Cheryl Lo, Aretha Pan Herng, Vivienne Chin Ven Yi, Nurul Sararudin.

Also in the fold are Shannon Park and Lourdes Acuesta of the US, Sta. Elena member Gaelle Marquet of France, Cangolf members Ikuko Kito and Maki Kageyama of Japan and Ines Putri Chandra, a mainstay of the Indonesian national team.

They will go up against an equally talented local contingent, headed by Ardina and SEA Games double gold medalist Chihiro Ikeda of the ICTSI golf team, ensuring a battle royale in the tournament organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Phils. and backed by De Capricho Jewelry, Baileys, Villamor Ladies Chapter, ABS-CBN, Butuan Doctor’s Hospital, Nike Park, Finishes First, Absolute and AB Leisure Exponent, Inc.