TAGAYTAY – Winning four of nine tournaments in a rookie season is no mean feat. And the scary thing about Pauline del Rosario’s surge is that the rising star continues to learn from each victory.

The way she did in fashioning out another seven-stroke romp over former three-time Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez in the ICTSI Splendido Ladies Classic at Taal Splendido Golf Club here yesterday.

“I learned a lot from this victory, particularly on playing relaxed while staying focused,” said del Rosario, whose campaign is backed Golf Depot and Ping.

Eight-up on Chihiro Ikeda after 36 holes, del Rosario seemed not inclined to press her bid the way she would in close encounters, putting in a pair of 38s for a four-over 76 – but still won by a mile.

In a brief stretch, however, the huge lead was actually cut into half after Ikeda went two-under and del Rosario wavered with a two-over card after 10 holes.

But the Fil-Japanese, who snapped a long title spell with a playoff win over Thai Wannasiri Sirisampant at Forest Hills two weeks ago, failed to cash in on del Rosario’s errant drive that sailed into the hazard on the par-5 11th, no thanks to a series of poor decisions and shots that saw her give up two more strokes with a 9 instead of pulling to within two.

That enabled Rosario to cruise to victory despite that four-over finish as she tallied a 54-hole total of 217, thus re-staking her claim as the hottest player on tour after a third place finish at Forest Hills.

After pulling to within four with eight holes left and del Rosario hitting a wayward drive on the 11th, Ikeda decided to go for the green after a solid drive instead of settling for regulation. She found the bunker and hit a skulled shot into the hazard.

While del Rosario salvaged a 7, Ikeda crumbled and finished with a 9 marred by a poor pitch and shaky putting. She never recovered her bearing, bogeyed two of the last seven and limped with a 77. She dropped to fifth instead at 226.

The victory, worth another P150,000, was the fourth for del Rosario, who scored a breakthrough at Orchard and ruled the Baguio stop of the circuit sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. She then dominated a tough field at Pradera Verde, beating no less than Symetra Tour campaigner and many-time LPGT winner Princess Superal by seven.

She, however, stressed the need to improve on her long game, putting and concentration as she heads to the range to prime up for the rich ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters at The Country Club in two weeks time.

Nine shots behind after 36 holes, Rodriguez also moved within four with a frontside 36 and a birdie on No. 11. But the former three-time Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner dropped two strokes on the par-4 13th and bogeyed the next to finish with a 74 for second at 224.

Princess Superal also blew a 35 start with two bogeys in the last six holes as she settled for a 73, still the best in another wind-blown day, and ended up tied for third with Thai Chonlada Chayanun, who shot a 75, at 225.

Sirisampant made a 74 and wound up sixth at 227 while this year’s LPGT Luisita leg winner Euna Koh of Korea skied to a 77 for a 230 followed by Thais Sarinee Thitratanakorn (75-233) and Ananya Vitayakonkomol (79-235) and Gretchen Villacencio (82-236) in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.