Daniella Uy can’t wait to finish off her rivals for a much-coveted LPGT trophy

SILANG, Cavite – Daniella Uy jostled herself to the top with a mix of resiliency and smarts, salvaging a one-over 72 in a windy second round to take a step closer to a dream Ladies Philippine Golf Tour victory in the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship here yesterday.

The Langer course continued to be a nightmare of sorts for the ladies of the tour but Uy battled back from a horrible quadruple bogey on the par-3 No. 8 on two errant shots to the left hazard with three straight birdies linking both nines then held sway with a gutsy run of pars to grab a two-stroke lead over erstwhile leader Harmie Constantino.

Uy had never held the lead heading to the final round of an LPGT championship but the former Junior World champion is all fired up to stay ahead till the last shot and putt are made.

“Anything can happen here at Langer,” said Uy, whose 146 total put her closer to surpassing her career-best tied for second effort at Highlands ruled by Sunshine Baraquiel three weeks ago.

Chihiro Ikeda feels two runner-up efforts merit a top podium finish

“So I need to be patient, focused and be more careful and aware of the wind,” added Uy, who proved the toughest in a day of survival as the rest came in ruffled by the wind that blew from all over and imploded on the unreceptive greens and tough pin placements.

Harmie Constantino, who stormed ahead by three after 18 holes with a 70 Wednesday, stumbled right on the first hole with a double bogey and spent the rest of the grueling day trying to recover – to no avail as she reeled with seven bogeys and a double bogey against a lone bogey. She ended up with an 81 and fell to joint third with last week’s Couples leg winner Chanelle Avaricio, who birdied the last hole to salvage a 75, at 151, five shots off Uy.

Ikeda, looking for a successful campaign after finishing joint runner-up at Highlands and Couples the last three weeks, birdied the first hole that however proved to be the lone bright spot in her scorecard marred by a double-bogey on the next and four bogeys. She parred the last seven holes to finish with a 76 and a 149.

Despite falling by 5, Chanelle Avaricio remains hopeful of a big rally for a second straight LPGT win

“My mistakes were mostly minor, either I missed short putts for pars or I hit it to the wrong side of the greens,” said Constantino. “I hit a lot of fairways but missed the greens.”

“Tomorrow (today) is another day, golf is golf and we’ll never know what will happen. But sana makabawi,” said the former national championship seeking a third victory in a rookie season after sweeping the Eagle Ridge-Aoki legs.
Ikeda appeared headed for a big showing after an opening hole birdie but never recovered from that double-bogey miscue on No. 2.

“It’s tough with the wind and the greens are hard to read,” rued Ikeda.

Harmie Constantino needs one big blast to recover from a disastrous 81

Marvi Monsalve turned in a second 77 for a 154 at fifth, amateur Arnie Taguines hardly improved from a 78 with a 77, her 155 likewise moving her 18 holes away from nailing her second low amateur trophy after claiming it at Eagle Ridge Norman last July.

Taguines stayed six strokes ahead of Mafy Singson, the low amateur the last three tournaments, who recovered from a woeful 85 with a 76 for a 161.

Sarah Ababa, a former LPGT leg winner in the circuit put up by ICTSI, also skied to an 81 for a 158 for seventh, Gretchen Villacencio assembled a 160 after her own version of a 10-over card, while Baraquiel bowed out with an atrocious 89 marred by two triple bogeys and three double bogeys for a 167.