Chabon gains lone slot in World jungolf tourney

MANILA, Philippines - Sofit Chabon toughened up at the backside and carded a one-over 73 to top the Junior World Golf Championships qualifier at the Menifee Lakes Golf Club in Menifee, California Friday.

Chabon, a mainstay of Team ICTSI, fumbled with two bogeys against a bogey in the early going but parred the last nine holes to turn in a 37-36 round and beat a big field chasing the lone slot in the 13-14 division of the Junior World slated next month in San Diego.

Chabon, coming off a victory in the 15-and-under section in the Royal Selangor Junior Amateur Open last April, bogeyed No. 3 but birdied the fifth hole before dropping a stroke on the next.

She, however, held on with pars in the last 12 holes to beat local bets Tsai-Ching Tseng, who made a 74, Jasmine Lew, who turned in a 75, and Abigail Wiranatha, who hobbled with a 76.

Sam Green, also a member of Team ICTSI, struggled with a 77.

Chabon’s victory came on the heels of Princess Superal’s topping of the US Girls’ Sectional Qualifying in Missouri that assured the reigning SEA Games individual champion a spot in the US Girls’ Championship also set next month in New Jersey.