Armed with a hot start, steely focus and a mission to erase the painful memory of a missed opportunity just last week, Chanelle Avaricio roared into a commanding lead at the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Apo Golf Classic.
And this time, she’s intent on finishing what she started.
Determined to atone for her late-round meltdown at Del Monte where a five-shot lead dissolved into a heartbreaking playoff loss to Sarah Ababa, Avaricio delivered a masterclass in course management and clutch execution at the demanding Apo Golf and Country Club in Davao on Wednesday.
She fired a superb four-under 68, punctuated by an eagle-2 on the very first hole, to break away from the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour field with a whopping eight-shot lead at the halfway mark.
‘My short game really carried me today, especially the putting,’ said Avaricio, whose four-under 140 total kept her safely ahead of Princess Superal, who pooled a 148 after a 73.
Despite holding a commanding lead, Avaricio isn’t taking anything for granted-especially after struggling to close out strongly at Del Monte.
‘No changes, but I’ll play my best and hope for the best,’ said Avaricio, who dominated the Forest Hills leg last June.
‘It’s the same situation as last week. I know I have a good chance, but anything can happen,’ she said. ‘All I can do is focus on playing well tomorrow.’
Avaricio wasted no time setting the tone at Apo-on the par-four opening hole, she ripped a solid drive down the fairway before pulling out her trusted 50-degree wedge from 100 yards.
She watched as the ball tracked the flag and disappeared into the cup for a spectacular eagle-2-a shot that seemed to exorcise the ghosts of last week.
‘I hit it straight, and it went in,’ she recalled.
She followed it up with a birdie on the par-three No. 4 and, despite a bogey on the next hole, stayed steady through the treacherous middle stretch of the course. She later added birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 to complete a clinical 34-34 round-one that left the rest of the field reeling.
While Avaricio surged, others struggled to keep pace as local favorite Mafy Singson, who started the day just a stroke of Avaricio, stumbled badly with a shocking 79 that dropped her 12 shots back at 152.
Superal emerged as the closest challenger after a one-over card, but her 148 aggregate still leaves her trailing by a daunting margin.
Florence Bisera (71), Rev Alcantara (74), Chihiro Ikeda (74) and Daniella Uy (75) matched 149s-already nine strokes adrift. Ababa, last week’s surprise winner, recovered with a 74 after a first-round 78 but is still 12 shots behind at 152, alongside Singson.