Del Rosario rebounds but stays way off Q-Series target

MANILA, Philippines — Pauline del Rosario fought back with a 71 at the Bobcat course in the third round of the  LPGA and Epson Tour Qualifying School – Stage II in Venice, Florida Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) but will need a lot of catching up to do in the final 18 holes to salvage a spot in the Q-Series in Mobile, Alabama.

As the four other Filipinas limped with sky-high scores in the pivotal round of the cutthroat qualifiers, del Rosario bounced back from a pair of 76s at the Panther and Bobcat courses of the Plantation Golf and Country Club with a 34-37 card. 

But with a 54-hole total of 223, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker stood four strokes off the T45 plus ties group which will advance to the final stage of the exacting two-week elims starting Nov. 28.

Thai ace Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who foiled amateur Rianne Malixi in sudden death to retain the Thai Amateur Open crown recently, fired an eagle-spiked 68 at Panther to gain a share of the lead with American Karen Chung, who carded a second straight 70, at 209. They stood two strokes clear of Thais Pinyada Kuvanun and Chanetee Wannasaen, who shot a 66 and 67, respectively, Miranda Wong of China, who carded a 68, and Canada’s Selena Costabile and Germany’s Aline Krauter, who matched 71s, for 211s, in the battle for low honors.

Del Rosario actually pressed her bid with back-to-back birdies from No. 4 then bounced back from every mishap (Nos. 8 and 12) with birdies on Nos. 9 and 13 but missed a chance on the par-5 No. 16. She holed out with a bogey to settle for a 71.

In contrast, the four other Pinay bidders in the early hunt faltered as amateur Samantha Bruce, in joint 38th halfway through after 74-71, tumbled to a share of 110th after an 81 marred by two double bogeys and seven bogeys against two birdies at Panther for a 226 aggregate.

Abby Arevalo, who opened with a 74 at Panther but wavered with a 78 at the other course, still groped for a six-over card at Bobcat, her lone birdie on No. 17 hardly mattered in a bogey-littered (seven) round. She pooled a 54-hole total of 230 for a share of 140th.

Daniella Uy turned in her best round of 76, also at Bobcat, after 77-79 but her 232 total could only lift her to a share of 150th while Chanelle Avaricio bombed out with a birdie-less 82 at the tough Bobcat course to fall to tied 159th at 234.

Over in Naples, also in Florida, Irish Leona Maguire produced a tournament-best solid nine-under 63 to catch Kiwi Lydia Ko at the helm heading to the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Maguire rattled four birdies at the front of Tiburon Golf Club’s Gold course then went on a five-birdie binge at the back to complete a bogey-free round of 32-31 for a 201 as she jumped from joint seventh for a share of the lead with Ko, who rebounded from a wobbly two-bogey, one-birdie card after five holes with three birdies to save a 70.

With Korean Jeongeun Lee6 and Scot Gemma Dryburgh settling for 206s after 68 and 69, respectively, for distant joint third, the battle for the top $2 million prize out of the $7 million pot is reduced to a shootout between Maguire and Ko.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, in the hunt after 36 holes, faded with a 73 as she tumbled to joint 12th at 210, nine strokes behind the joint leaders with Canadian Brooke Henderson and Swede Anna Nordqvist at tied fifth with 207s after 65 and 70, respectively.

Yuka Saso, on the other hand, headed for a forgettable finish in the LPGA Tour’s season-ending event as she turned in a 74 and remained at last in the elite 60-player field with 226.

The 2021 US Women’s Open champion gave up five strokes right in the first five holes, marred by a double bogey on No. 4. She hit three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 6 but failed to gain headway with a run of pars, closing out with a bogey-birdie-par for a 38-36.