Ikeda, Guioguio, Piccio dominate individual play: South cruises to 5-pt romp vs North

MANILA, Philippines - South, which dominated North in team competition, proved tougher in individual play as it won four matches and drew one, 4.5-3.5, to coast to a five-point victory in the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s Duel 2 – North vs South at the South Links Golf Club in Las Piñas yesterday.

Cyna Rodriguez tried to spark North’s final day rally with a 7&6 demolition of Anya Tanpinco but Chihiro Ikeda, Lovelynn Guioguio and Mia Piccio matched that lopsided triumph with blowout wins over Lina de Guzman, Heidi Chua and Mary Grace Estuesta, respectively, to clinch the Duel, 10.5-5.5.

Needing just two wins and a draw in eight singles matches to retain the crown after storming to a 6-2 lead after the fourballs and foursomes, the Southerners finished off their Northern counterparts on Piccio’s 6&5 victory over Estuesta.

Earlier, Ikeda and Piccio routed De Guzman and Estuesta via the same 6&5 scorelines before Guioguio delivered the third and title-clinching point for Team South.

“The key to our victory is teamwork and my players really played their best,” said Team South skipper Sylvia Torres, who drew the best from her wards early – via a 4-0 romp in the fourballs in the first day that set the tone for the rout.

“That was really the key, a solid first day stint. Team North had a hard time coming back as my players held their own in the foursomes and then proved their worth in singles,” added Torres.

The Southerners thus completed their sweep of the first two editions of the Ryder Cup-style format event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., ruling the inaugural edition last year in come-from-behind fashion and keeping the crown via wire-to-wire triumph.

North’s stalwarts Dottie Ardina and Jayvie Agojo fashioned out expected one-sided victories over Sarah Ababa, 5&4, and Tracy Que, 5&4, respectively, but the rest just couldn’t match their feats with Lucy Landicho salvaging the lone all-square match against Apple Fudolin in the second pairing.

Eva Miñoza capped South’s domination with a 2-up victory over Jan Punzalan in the three-day event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Nike, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp.

South imposed its will early by sweeping the better-ball format then forced a 2-2 draw in the alternate-shot event on the Piccio-Guioguio tandem’s thrilling 1-up win over Ardina and Estuesta in the final pairing Wednesday.