Ikeda surges ahead as Harmie fumbles

LIPA City, Batangas, Philippines — Chihiro Ikeda took a step closer to snapping a long title spell, wresting control in a wild, hot frontside skirmish then holding sway in a windy backside finish to move ahead by two over unfancied Pamela Mariano with a 72 in the second round of the ICTSI Mount Malarayat Ladies Challenge here yesterday.

Ikeda birdied the 10th and 14th and parred the rest of the way to salvage an even-par card after a frontside 38 that included a double-bogey and two bogeys against two birdies at the Mt. Malipunyo and Mt. Lobo nines of the sprawling Mount Malarayat golf complex.

With a 143 aggregate, the former SEA Games individual champion posted a two-shot cushion over Mariano, who came through with a gutsy 72 that likewise moved her closer to annexing a breakthrough finish in the circuit put up by ICTSI.

Mariano assembled a 145 to earn a spot in today’s championship group with Chanelle Avaricio and Ikeda, whose opening 71 and a 72 put her closer to nailing her first win since besting Pauline del Rosario in sudden death at Midlands in 2019.

Harmie Constantino, who scored a hole-in-one on her way to grabbing the first day honors with a 70, blew her lead with a woeful frontside 40. She got back into the mix with a birdie on No. 11 but faded with three straight miscues from No. 13.