Filipino golfers reel back in Asiad day of torrid scoring

HANGZHOU, China – Rianne Malixi came through with a pitch-in eagle to highlight a second round 70, but the young Filipina hopeful fell off the medal race in the face of her rivals’ blistering charge halfway through the women’s individual golf competitions in the 19th Asian Games here Friday.

Malixi broke a birdie-bogey stint in a backside start at the West Lake International Golf Course she tamed with a bogey-free 68 in the first round with an eagle-2 on No. 5 but dropped a shot on the next before holing out with a birdie to save a 34-36.

But her six-under 138 total dropped her two spots to solo ninth, now six strokes behind Thai Arpichaya Yubol, who took charge with a flawless 65 for a 132 and a one-stroke lead over world No. 2 Ruoning Yin of China, who fired a 66 after a 67, and India’s Aditi Ashok, who also carded a six-under card laced with an eagle-2, also on the fifth hole.

First round leader Saki Baba of Japan struggled with a 72 after a 65 and slipped to joint seventh at 137 heading to the last 36 holes of the tournament fast shaping up to be an anybody’s race.

China’s Xiyu Lin and Yu Liu took the third and fourth spots with 134 and 135 after 67 and 68, respectively, while Patcharajutar Kongkraphan, also from Thailand, charged back with a 67 to move to sixth at 136.

But Yubol looked poised to sustain her assault and upstage the fancied bets as the 2019 ICTSI Manila Ladies Masters winner at Manila Golf Club produced a sterling 33-32 round that gave her the confidence and the needed momentum in what looms to be a tight, wild ending.

Lois Kaye Go, meanwhile, groped for a 76 after a 72 for a 148 as she missed the cut in individual play.

Malixi, whose local and overseas campaign is backed by ICTSI, had hoped to match