Arevalo flourishes at the finish anew, fires 69

MANILA, Philippines – Abby Arevalo put on another late charge, this time, at the frontside of the Sweetgrass Golf Club, which she razed with three birdies on her way to a second straight 69 and a share of sixth place in the Island Resort Championship in Harris, Michigan Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

But the big-hitting American Auston Kim ripped the par-72 layout with awesome iron play and superb putting to net a solid 64 as she pulled ahead at 10-under 134 heading to the final 18 holes of the $225,000 tournament, the 11th leg of this year’s Epson Tour.

Kim wrested a one-stroke lead over Malaysian Natasha Oon, who shot a 68 and grabbed second place at 135, even as erstwhile joint leader Tsai Ching Tseng of Taiwan slowed down with a 70 after a 66 for 135.

Aussie Hira Naveed also made her move with an eagle-laced 67 for joint fourth at 137 with Spain’s Teresa Toscano, who turned in a 69, while Becca Huffer and fellow American Amelia Lewis matched outputs with Arevalo for a share of sixth.

Arevalo, who closed out the backside with three straight birdies in the first round, broke a one-bogey, one-birdie backside start with birdies on Nos. 1, 5 and 9 as the ICTSI-backed ace poised herself for a best career finish in the LPGA Tour’s farm league.

She missed five fairways on a 250-yard driving norm, went out of regulation four times but finished with 29 putts.

Kim, meanwhile, bucked shaky driving that saw her miss six fairways on a 287-yard clip but hit all but one green and made 27 putts for a 31-33 capped by a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole to snatch the lead.

Her 64, however, proved a stroke off the course mark posted by Morgan Metraux in 2021.

But while Arevalo kept her title bid going, the other Filipinas wavered with former LPGA campaigner Bianca Pagdanganan settling for a 72 despite a rare back-to-back eagle feat to open and close her round (Nos. 10 and 9) as she made a double bogey on No. 13 and bogeys on Nos. 1 and 8.

She pooled a 142 for a share of 27th, eight strokes off Kim, while Chanelle Avaricio blew a two-under card after 10 holes from the back with a double bogey on No. 5 and a bogey on the next. The multi-titled Ladies Philippine Golf Tour campaigner, however, made a cut at 143 after failing to advance in her previous Epson Tour campaigns.

Two-time winner Clariss Guce also sputtered with a 73 and joined Avaricio at 42nd but Pauline del Rosario failed to advance at 144 with a 76 and a 151, along with amateur Samantha Bruce, who carded a 75 for a 153.