Del Rosario, Ilas pace Kids World

MANILA, Philippines - Pauline del Rosario shot a one-under 71 while Bernice Olivarez-Ilas carded a 74 to wrest control in their respective divisions in the 2013 Kids World Golf Championship Malaysia at the Pulai Springs Course in Johor, Malaysia late Tuesday.

Del Rosario, a Junior World champion, gunned down one birdie and parred the rest of the holes to turn in the lone bogey-free round in the day and surge to a five-stroke lead over ICTSI-Phl teammate Samantha Martinez in the centerpiece 15-18 age division.

Martinez struggled with a 76 while Indonesia’s Hashila Adami Rivai hobbled with a 78 in the 54-hole tournament featuring some of the region’s leading junior players.

Olivarez-Ilas, on the other hand, took charge in the 11 years-olds category despite a 74 for a four-shot lead as Thai Butsakorn Moonfong limped with a 78 and Myanmar’s Thin Wai Khaing skied to an 84 at the nearby Palm Resort’s Cempaka layout.

Mikhaela Fortuna, another Team ICTSI-Phl mainstay, turned in a 76 and trailed Malaysian Siti Shaargi by two in the 13-14 class of the annual event.