ANTIPOLO. — Chanelle Avaricio finally rediscovered the rhythm, touch, and precision that once made her a dominant force, firing a bogey-free 65 to post a commanding three-stroke lead over Mafy Singson after two rounds of the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic on Wednesday.
Avaricio, who opened with a steady 72, found her spark early with a birdie-par-birdie start at the back nine. She added another birdie on No. 16 and kept the momentum going with another flawless frontside effort, picking up strokes on Nos. 1, 3 and 9 to cap an impressive five-under-par 137 total at the Nicklaus course.
“I hit more fairways and I putted pretty good,” said Avaricio, whose second round was highlighted by two long birdie putts. “I couldn’t recall the average distance of my birdies, but it’s more than a pin with two long putts.”
Despite holding a solid cushion, the multi-titled Ladies Philippine Golf Tour winner remained cautious heading into Thursday’s finale.
“No expectations, but I’ll do my best and hopefully I’ll play well,” said Avaricio, who has been searching for her winning form since a banner 2022 season and a brief stint in the U.S. circuit.
She had shown glimpses of promise earlier this season, finishing tied for fifth at the season-opener in Pradera Verde and sharing fourth at Eagle Ridge. However, she never truly contended – far from the dominant form she displayed in 2022 when she strung together multiple wins before venturing into the US circuit.
Still, her closest pursuers aren’t backing down.
Singson stayed within striking distance with a second-round 69 for a 140 total. She caught fire with three birdies over a six-hole stretch from No. 8 and looked poised to make a stronger push before slowing down with a bogey-birdie-bogey stretch from No. 15.
“I was a little more aggressive and more birdies fell today,” said Singson, the Eagle Ridge champion and a consistent contender in recent legs.
Though three shots adrift, the ICTSI-backed campaigner remained optimistic:
“Obviously, I want to play well but I’ll do it shot-by-shot,” she said.
First-round leader Kristine Fleetwood faltered with a 74 after a 70 and slipped into a tie for third at 144 with Sarah Ababa and Tiffany Lee, who carded identical 71s, while Mikha Fortuna turned in a 72 to join Kayla Nocum, who limped with a 77, at 147.
Florence Bisera also returned a 72 for a 148 total, alongside Princess Superal, who stumbled with a 76, all but dimming her title hopes.
