Ikeda overcomes challenge, wins PHL ladies amateur crown

CANLUBANG, Laguna – Chihiro Ikeda played well enough in the last nine holes to overcome stiff competition from Dottie Ardina and Juruporn Ayutthaya of Thailand to annex her second title in four years in the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open Golf Championship at The Country Club on Friday. Ikeda carded a flawless two-under-par 70 to cruise to a 211 total and book a six-stroke victory against Ardina's closing 75 for 218 – the score which was not reflective of what was expected to be a thriller in the final round of the 54-hole event by the Women's Golf Association of the Philippines (WGAP). The Filipina-Japanese held a slim one-shot advantage after the second round. Ardina kept it close in Friday's round although she trailed by two at the turn. Ikeda, however, made an easy birdie on No. 10, which proved to be the turning point of the match. But for Ikeda, she only had the chance to smile at the 15th hole when she knew she maintained a four-stroke lead against Ardina. "It was only at that hole where I heaved a sigh of relief. Before that, I was nervous, too," said Ikeda, who was paired for the sixth time with Ardina in a championship flight. Bong Lopez, Ikeda's coach, was happy to see her ward not giving in to pressure and stay focused on what she can really do on the course. "She's mature now, whereas in the past, she would crumble in close games like this." The 17-year-old Ardina, who has numerous successes in the Junior World Championships, had a costly bogey on the 12th, then added two on the 16th and 18th due to woeful putting. She knew she was down big but couldn't get over the hump as she came up short on a few birdie chances. "The lucks and breaks were not on my side. And on some holes, I was left with no other choice but to save par, which was also difficult to execute," Ardina said. Ayutthaya rallied to within four with a flashy 33 at the front. She skidded at the tougher back nine in a hot and humid day, bogeying Nos. 10 and 11 and settling for a 71 for 218, good for third place. Lovelynn Guioguio churned out a 71 and finished tied for fourth at 220 with dethroned champion Cyna Marie Rodriguez, who matched par 72, and Korean Park Sun-hyun, the third player in the championship flight who made a 75. Irina Gabasa came through with a one-under 71 for a 224 and salvaged joint seventh with former champion Jayvie Agojo, who had a 73, while Taiwanese Chi Wang shot a 72 for joint ninth with Andie Unson, who had a 76, at 226. – Adrian Flores, JVP, KY, GMANews.TV