Pinay golfers fade with second 143

MANILA, Philippines - Pauline del Rosario rebounded with a one-under 71 but Princess Superal and Miya Legaspi failed to get going with a pair of 72s as the Philippines put in a second 143 and fell farther back Canada midway through the World Amateurs Golf Team Championships at the Karui East Golf Club in Karuizawa, Japan late Thursday.

Del Rosario, who didn’t count with a 74 in the first round at Oshitate course, fought back from a one-over card with three birdies against a bogey in the last five holes at the adjacent Iriyama layout, emerging as the country’s top scorer for the day as Superal and Legaspi matched par 72s, either of which counted in the three-to-play, two-to-count format event.

Superal, the reigning US Girls Juniors champion and spearhead of Team ICTSI, bogeyed the 18th and signed a 72 while Legaspi, an Asian Youth Games gold medalist, also wavered with a bogey on the 16th for her second even par round.

With a 143 and 286, the Philippines dropped from a share of 11th to joint 14th with China (140) and South Africa (144), 12 strokes behind Canada, which sustained its form to fire a 139 and a 274.

“Princess had a lot of birdie chances but just couldn’t convert what would normally be routine putts from 8-10 feet. But she and Miya remain steady while Pauline saved the day with a one-under. The three, however, stay positive for the last two rounds,” said team captain Nestor Mendoza.

The Canadians, led by Brooke Henderson’s 69, stayed on top by two over the Japanese, who had a 276 after a solid 132 at Oshitate, while Korea, champion the last two years, stood at 277 after a 140.

Del Rosario stumbled with a bogey on the second hole but birdied the next from eight feet then added another birdie on the eighth. She bogeyed Nos. 11 and 12 but gained the strokes with birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 before holing out with a bogey-birdie for that 71.

Legaspi birdied the opening hole but flubbed a couple of tries inside seven feet in the next seven holes before dropping a stroke on the ninth after missing the green. She bogeyed the 203-yard par-3 12th but birdied the next two before dropping another stroke on a relatively shorter par-4 342-yard 16th.

Superal likewise had a good start with a birdie on No. 2 but also missed two chances on Nos. 4 and 5 then bogeyed the short par-3 138-yard No. 7. She muffed another birdie putt on the par-5 15th then hit another birdie on the 17th only to yield it back on the last hole.