Korea leads by 1; PH 3 back in Sirikit Cup

CARMONA—South Korea got off to a flying start with two of its players breaking par at the tough Masters’ co urse to open up a onestroke lead over defending champion Japan and Thailand, while the Philippines kept pace and trailed by three in Tuesday’s first round of the 43rd Queen Sirikit Cup held at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Seo Kyorim scored a three-underpar 69 and Yoo Hyunjo made a twounder-par 70 for 139.

New Zealand followed with the four-under-par 68 of Fiona Xu and even par 70 of Vivian Lu for 140, a score later matched by Thailand in the late afternoon as Thitikarn Thapasit and Achiraya Sriwong each tallied a two-under-par 70.

Japan, seeking a back-to-back title and eighth overall, was in solo fourth with 141. World no. 5 Yuna Araki turned in a 70 and Mizuki Hashimoto a 71.

Team Philippines, meanwhile, was led by Rianne Malixi’s eagleaided 68 and Mafy Singson’s 74.

Lois Kaye Go’s 77 did not count in the three-to-play, two-to-count format of this international tournament also known as the Amateur LadiesAsia Pacific Invitational Golf Team Championships.

“We are not too far behind but th ere are a lot of things that we can improve on. We’ll try to fix some and hopefully that will translate into good scores in the second ro und ,” said PH captain Ann Granada.

Malixi seconded the skipper’s assessment as she said that she could have done better.

“I scrambled for pars in the first few holes. I did not play competitive golf prior to Queen Sirikit and getting rid of the rustiness. But when I eagled the sixth hole, things turned around and I got back into the groove. I kinda figured out what was wrong and recovered just in time,” she said.

Top guns clash in explosive Anvaya Cove opener

MORONG, Bataan—The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour kick-starts its new season in the most riveting fashion—pitting two LPGA Tour veterans and Taiwan’s No. 1 in the first round of the $100,000 Anvaya Cove Ladies International beginning today (Wednesday) here.

In a sprint race, this being a 54hole championship, every shot counts and PK Kongkraphan and Ya-Chun Chang have stressed the need for ball control on a well-kept, risk-and-reward Anvaya Cove course and local ace Bianca Pagdanganan expects to produce no less than stellar play while ranged against the best in the fold.

The three are the main talking points in the run-up to the kickoff leg of this year’s LPGT, which also serves as the second event of the 2023 LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA), and they hope to deliver with the seasoned Thai looming large with her talent and vast experience, having competed in the LPGA Tour for eight years, nearly three times over the Filipina’s abbreviated stint in the world’s premier ladies pro circuit. Chang, 22, is billed as the future of Taiwan women’s golf after emerging on top of her country’s pro circuit last year, barely five months after she turned pro that had her winning one and turning in at least three Top 10 finishes.

“I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do, step by step, and not paying too much about the results,” said Chang, who will be as much tested as Kongkraphan and Pagdanganan in their most-awaited 8 a.m. clash on No. 1.

“This course is really challenging with pretty narrow fairways,” said Chang, who at 15, relocated to Florida, joined the IMG Academy and competed in at least 10 pro tournaments. “So you have to be very smart as to where you’re going to hit every single shot.”

While she also puts emphasis on driving, Kongkraphan, 31, feels it will most likely boil down to putting, saying: “I hope to keep the ball on the fairways but I need to make some putts because the greens are very challenging.”

The Thai, however, has gone through a lot of tests to be rattled off a bit and the Thai LPGA Tour Order of Merit winner last year is expected to use her experience to nail her second TLPGA leg win in her first local foray in a long while.

“I’ve been here a long time ago with the (Thai) national team and very excited to play. Actually, I’m very comfortable playing with Asian players,” said Kongkraphan, who topped the 2022 Thai LPGA Masters, which was part of the TLPGA, on her way to clinching the OOM trophy.