Bruce finds groove, sparks Copper Rock fightback with 68

MANILA, Philippines — Samantha Bruce finally showed signs of the player many believed she could become, sustaining the momentum of her fiery first-round finish with a brilliant four-under-par 68 to storm into joint 13th halfway through the Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane, Utah on Friday (Saturday Manila time).

While Bianca Pagdanganan and the rest of the Filipina contingent struggled to keep pace, Bruce emerged as the Philippines’ brightest hope, piecing together a composed yet explosive round at Copper Rock Golf Course to reach a 36-hole total of 139 – just five shots behind leader Caitlin Peirce.

More importantly, it marked a long-awaited breakthrough for Bruce, whose rookie Epson Tour campaign had been marred by inconsistency and disappointing finishes. After missing the cut in three of her last four starts, including a tied-for-56th effort at the Arizona Women’s Golf Classic last April, the power-hitting Filipina finally looked ready to turn the corner.

And she did it with authority.

Bruce wasted little time igniting her charge, birdying two of her first five holes before recovering from a bogey on No. 7 with another burst at the back. She birdied three of the first four holes coming home, briefly threatening an even bigger climb before a bogey on No. 14 slowed her momentum.

But unlike in previous tournaments where mistakes often snowballed, Bruce responded immediately with a birdie on the next hole, highlighting a growing maturity and resilience in her game.

Her 35-33 card enabled her to leap from joint 40th into a share of 13th, only two strokes behind the group tied for fifth.

It was a dramatic turnaround from her shaky opening-round start, where she appeared headed for another frustrating week after making a two-over 38 on the front side Thursday. But Bruce steadied herself with three birdies over her last seven holes for a salvaged 71 – a closing stretch that ultimately became the spark for her impressive second-round assault in the $250,000 tournament.

Clariss Guce also mounted a recovery with a 69 but could only improve to joint 37th at 142, while Pagdanganan narrowly survived the cut after limping to a 73 for a 143 total.

The US Women’s Open-bound Pagdanganan, whose campaign is supported by ICTSI, actually looked poised for a strong rebound after birdying two of her first six holes. But a costly double bogey on No. 7 derailed her round and disrupted her rhythm, leading to two more bogeys against just one birdie on the back nine for a 36-37 effort.

Tomi Arejola fired a 69 but still missed the cut in the 54-hole championship at 146, matching the output of 2022 champion Dottie Ardina, who stumbled with a 74 after opening with a 72. Pauline del Rosario likewise bowed out after a second straight 76 for a 152.

Peirce, meanwhile, held on to the lead despite an early disaster. Starting on No. 10, she fumbled with a double bogey but regrouped with four birdies over her remaining 15 holes to salvage a 70 and a 134 aggregate.

Fiona Xu and Maddie Di-Bello stayed within striking distance at 135 after rounds of 67 and 68, respectively.

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