Filipina golfers finish way off in BGC Championship

MANILA, Philippines – Marvi Monsalve flopped in a frontside finish and slipped with a three-over 75, dropping to tied 46th in the BGC Championship ruled in runaway fashion by Natthakritta Vongtaveelap in Nakyon Nayok in central Thailand Friday.

Monsalve battled back from a two-bogey mishap after four holes at the back of the Watermill Golf Club and Resort layout with three birdies in the next four holes. But she failed to sustain her charge, dropping a shot on the 18th and losing her poise completely in the last nine holes that saw her yield strokes on Nos. 1, 6 and 7 for a 39-36.

With a 54-hole total of four-over 220, including 71 and 74, the Filipina shotmaker shared 46th place with two others in the THB1.2 million championship, which served as the kickoff leg of this year’s Thai LPGA Tour.

Chanelle Avaricio also failed to mount a charge and stumbled with six bogeys against two birdies for a 76 as she fell to a share of 50th at 222 in a surviving field of 54.

Gretchen Villacencio, the other Pinay survivor after 36 holes, skied to a 77 and wound up tied at 52nd at 223.

Meanwhile, Vongtaveelap, a SEA Games individual gold medalist and two-time Thai Ladies Amateur Open champion, routed the field with a closing 65 she spiked with an eagle on the par-5 No. 13, pooling a whopping 22-under 194 total and posting a five-shot victory over compatriot Boonchant Jaravee, who closed out with solid 66 for a 199 but still lost by a big margin.

The Thais’ strong 1-2 finish likewise primed themselves for the Honda LPGA of the LPGA Tour set Feb. 23-26 in Chonburi featuring the world’s leading players, including No. 1 Lydia Ko, No. 2 Nelly Korda, No. 3 Minjee Lee and No. 4 Atthaya Thitikuyl, along with Jin Young Ko, Danielle Kang, Nasa Hataoka, Brooke Henderson, Hyo Joo Kim and 2021 US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso.

Meanwhile, four strokes ahead of Jaravee after 36 holes, Vongtaveelap never gave the former a chance to strike back, matching her opening birdie and stringing three straight birdies from No. 9 before drilling an eagle on the 13th.

Jaravee did keep an unblemished round of six-under all throughout but Vongtaveelap bounced back from a miscue on No. 16 with closing back-to-back birdies to cap her three-day romp.