Former amateur hotshot Pauline del Rosario finally nailed her first title win by ruling the ICTSI Orchard Ladies Invitational at Orchard’s Player course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Del Rosario, 18, closed out with a 71 to survive the early scare from Thai Nemittra and the late charge of amateur Eagle Ace Superal and bank her biggest earning in a young pro career – P250,000.
The title win came after a couple of runner-up finishes on late meltdowns, including a playoff setback to Korean Euna Koh at Luisita last April.
She looked headed for another shaky finish after Juntanaket pulled to within one after the second hole up to the 11th.
But while the Filipina ace kept her poise and came away with gutsy pars and a birdie on No. 14, the Thai faltered with a double-bogey on No. 11 and bowed out with four bogeys in the last six holes.
Juntanaket wound up with a 77 for a 226, enabling the 12-year-old Superal to snatch the runner-up honors at 223 after a 73 built around four birdies against three bogeys and a double-bogey.
“I really felt bad losing at Luisita. But I had good week here and so happy to have finally scored a win,” said Del Rosario, a former Philippine Ladies Open champion and winner of various amateur titles abroad.
Unable to shake off the Thai majority of the way, Del Rosario cashed in on Juntanaket’s three-putt miscue for a double-bogey on the par-3 11th and pulled away with a six-foot birdie on No. 14.
