Golf: East Wack Wack greens give bets fits in PHL Ladies Open practice round

Nobody has a clear shot at the title, at least not at the moment, as the East course proved too much even on practice day for the participants of the 50th Philippine Ladies Open which starts Wednesday at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City. Lovelyn Guioguio, the recent Philippine Amateur Open winner, and contenders Dottie Ardina and Thailand's Yupaporn Kawinpakorn tested the par-72 East layout—characterized by tree-lined yet narrow fairways and tricky greens—Tuesday to prepare for the battle. Guioguio, in fact, scored a three-over-par 75, a far cry from her PHL Am Open final round performance. She found the greens hard to read because of its undulation and breaks. Despite that, she's the lady-to-beat since she's still on a high from her triumph on Sunday at Canlubang. "Even if people say I'm the favorite, actually, I'm an underdog. The East plays harder than the North course of Canlubang. It's difficult to say I'll get my second title here," said the 24-year-old Bukidnon lass. Kawinpakorn, the 2007 Ladies Open winner, downplayed her chances too, because she also had trouble with the East's greens during practice. "I just want to do my best to reclaim the Open plum. It’s going to be a lot of hard work this week because the course is tricky," she said, as one of the veteran campaigners on the Thailand side. Aside from Yupaporn, 2011 Southeast Asian Games individual silver medalist Pinrath Loonboonruang, Savitree Thavong and Pathamaporn Ariyamatepreecha are participating. Ardina, on the other hand, is raring to rebound from her poor performance at Canlubang last week. For the first time in the last few years of her career, the 18-year-old ICTSI stalwart registered a horrendous 12-over-par 84, which landed her in seventh spot overall. "I know I can score under-par at the East, although, it will be have to earned," Ardina said. Joining the title chase in the 54-hole, Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines (WGAP)-organized championship, are scratch players from Korea, Japan, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands and the US. The event was ushered in Tuesday with a cocktail party among participants and officials at Wack Wack Clubhouse after the traditional ceremonial tee-off, headed by WGAP president Rio Co and Wack Wack Golf and Country Club president Philip Ella Juico. Clubs all over the country will also be fielding their best bets in the Open, which will also feature the Class A and Class B events after the classification on the second day. Playing are entries from Canlubang, Sta. Elena, Eagle Ridge, Southwoods, Valley Golf, Orchard, AFP Golf Club (formerly Aguinaldo GC), Riviera, Tagaytay Highlands, Alta Vista, Forest Hills, Pueblo de Oro, Canlubang, Del Monte, Navy and Southwoods. — AMD/JVP, GMA News