Chihiro Ikeda bounces back with 69

MANILA, Philippines — Chihiro Ikeda sizzled at the front but slowed down in the last nine holes to card a 69 and trail new leader Parinda Phokan of Thailand after two rounds of the TLPGA & Royal Open at the Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club in Taiwan yesterday.

Ikeda came out smoking after a three-over 75 start Friday, birdying three of the first 13 holes then negating her missed-green bogey on No. 14 with a last-hole birdie to get into the mix at 144 heading to the last 18 holes of the NTS 8 million (around P13 million) event which absentee Filipina Pauline del Rosario won in 2017.

Though she lay six shots behind Phokan at joint 28th, the former SEA Games individual gold medalist and many-time winner on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour remains hopeful of her chances though she stressed the need to come out strong and sustain her pace to the finish.

Phokan fired a bogey-free 68 to grab the lead at 138, one stroke ahead of Korean Park Jin Hee2, who shot the day’s best 67 for a 139 while erstwhile solo leader Lin Tzu-Chi tumbled with a 73 for a 140 for joint third with seven others.

Lin actually scored an ace on No. 3 but made three bogeys and a double bogey against two more birdies.

Daniella Uy, the other Filipina in the 54-hole event of the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA), bogeyed the last two holes for a 74 as she fell farther back at 147 for a share of 55th.