Avaricio eagles last hole, ties for 25th in China Legacy

MANILA, Philippines — Chanelle Avaricio eagled the final hole to salvage an even-par 72 and secure a share of 25th place at the China Golf Women’s Legacy, won by local ace Yijia Ren in wire-to-wire fashion at the Poly Chengdu Golf Club on Saturday.

Coming off an impressive second-round 67, Avaricio had hoped for a stronger finish but managed just one birdie on the front nine in the final round. She battled back from a double bogey and a bogey on the back nine, closing with an eagle for a 35-37 card and a 54-hole total of 213.

However, it was only enough for joint 25th, 14 strokes behind Ren, who edged amateur Yujie Liu in a tense finish. Ren clinched the ¥800,000 title with a 69 for a 199 total, while Liu settled for second at 200 after a 68. Yu Ju Chen surged to joint third with a third straight 69 for a 207 aggregate.

The Chinese 1-2 finish snapped Thailand’s dominance in the previous China Tour legs, including the Chongqing Open and Tianjin Open. This week, the best Thai result came from Pimpina Panthong, who placed joint fifth at 208 after a 67.

Meanwhile, Florence Bisera closed with a 73 to finish tied for 60th at 218 in another disappointing campaign. After opening with a strong 68 to sit solo third, just two strokes off the lead, Bisera faltered with a second-round 77 that erased her early gains. She managed 17 pars against a lone bogey in the final round but fell well short of expectations.

Over on the LPGA Tour, World No. 1 Nelly Korda moved within striking distance of another title following her dominant major victory, firing a flawless 67 to tie Brianna Do at the halfway mark of the Riviera Maya Open at El Camaleón Golf Course.

Korda birdied five holes without a bogey, building on her opening 68 highlighted by an eagle. Do followed a first-round 66 with a 69 as both stood at 135, one shot ahead of Melanie Green, who carded a 70 for 136. Minami Katsu remained in contention at 137 after a 68.

With a tightly packed leaderboard, Korda appeared poised to dominate the final two rounds of the $2.5-million event.

Meanwhile, Bianca Pagdanganan missed the cut after rounds of 73 and 75, finishing at 148 – two strokes shy of advancing. Her second round was erratic, featuring early double bogeys, a brief recovery with birdies, and late miscues that ultimately sealed her exit.

Yuka Saso, a two-time US Women’s Open champion, also bowed out after a disappointing 83 following an opening 75. Her round included three birdies but was marred by six bogeys, one double bogey, and two triple bogeys – one of the toughest rounds of her career.

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