Korean lass storms to 4-shot lead at Wack Wack

Jeong Hwa Lee fired an impressive four-under 68 under tough playing conditions to boost her lead to four over Princess Superal in the second round of the 50th Philippine Ladies Open crown at Wack Wack’s East Course yesterday. 


“The pin placement is still tough but I tried my best to attack the pin and made several good putts,” said Lee, who finished runner up to Louise Manalo in the 2009 edition of the tilt in Southwoods. The Korean pooled a 142 despite a bogey mishap on the 18th, moving closer to becoming the first Korean to win the Philippine Ladies Open diadem.

Lee went five-under in a 10-hole stretch on a challenging course that continued to bedevil the games of the other fancied bets, turning a shaky one-shot margin into a commanding lead heading to the final 18 holes of the golden staging of the country’s premier ladies championship.

Superal took the challenger’s role as erstwhile pursuer Jayvie Agojo faltered with a 74 and the other favorites failed to rebound from so-so opening rounds, firing a gutsy 70 for a 146.

The 14-year-old Superal, a multi-winner on the ICTSI Jungolf Circuit, matched Lee’s opening 34 and a birdie on the 10th but bogeyed the par-3 to settle for a two-under card.

Club bet Felicia Medalla turned from awful to awesome with a three-under 69, marked by five birdies, including the tough No. 18 from where she holed out from 24 feet, as the two-time club champion snatched a spot in today’s championship flight with a 148.

Agojo, who put herself in early contention for a second crown after ruling the 2005 edition, wavered coming home with two bogeys in the last three holes, dropping to the second-to-last flight at 149 in the tournament organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Phils.

Lovelynn Guioguio, who copped the Philippine Amateur crown last Sunday, rallied with a 34 at the back and ended up with a 71, moving to solo fifth with a 150, eight strokes off Lee.

The rest stood too far behind with Thais Savitree Thavong and Supamas Sangchan assembling 152s after a 74 and 76, in a tie with Claire Amelia Legaspi, who had a 74, Andie Unson, who made a second 76.

Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, winner here in 2007, struggled all day and hobbled with a birdie-less 80 for a 158 while Dottie Ardina put to naught a decent 36 opening with a horrible 46 for an 82 and a 162.

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