LAUREL, Batangas. – Sunshine Baraquiel pulled ahead in a spirited duel for the lead that kept on changing hands until she hit a clutch birdie on No. 15 to save a second 71 and Chanelle Avaricio hobbled with closing bogeys for a 73 in the second round of the ICTSI Splendido Taal Challenge here Wednesday.
Baraquiel took command with a 35 as first round leader Avaricio grappled with her driver and putter and flubbed short par-putts that led to a 38. But the latter regained the lead with a fiery three-birdie binge from No. 10, only to yield it with bogeys in the last two holes.
That enabled Baraquiel to take a one-stroke lead at 142, moving 18 holes away from nailing her second career victory after scoring a breakthrough win in wicked conditions at Tagaytay Highlands last November.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdies, but I missed a couple of three-footers and another three-footer for par,” said Baraquiel, who rebounded from a bogey start with birdies on Nos. 2 and 6 to wrest control as Avaricio dropped two strokes on the par-4 No. 4 and bogeyed the next.
Avaricio birdied the seventh for the second straight day and reclaimed the top spot with those string of birdies to launch her backside drive, only to stumble at the finish for nines of 38-35 and 143 in a tie with amateur Mafy Singson.
She also rued her shaky driving but hoped to regain her rhythm in the last 18 holes and get back on the winning track in the fifth leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
“I struggled with my driving and failed to get up-and-down on most holes,” said Avaricio, who scored back-to-back wins at Hallow Ridge and Caliraya before getting foiled by Chihiro Ikeda at Mount Malarayat two weeks ago.
“I have to make sure my drives are good and if not, hopefully I could make my up-and-down game,” added Avaricio.
Baraquiel is also putting premium on driving, which she believes would give her better option to attack the greens.
