Mikha Fortuna. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Mikha Fortuna finished birdie-birdie on Wednesday to shoot a three-under-par 69 and stay within four shots of the lead after the first 18 holes of the NT$5 million (around P9 million) Party Golfers Ladies Open of the LPGA of Taiwan at Lily Golf and Country Club course in Hsinchu country.

And the reigning match play champion of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour will go into the final two rounds with a lot of confidence after getting first round jitters out of the way and having some knowledge of the course she has played in the past.

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“I was a bit nervous [going] into the event, but I reminded myself that I played here last year,” Fortuna said after a 32-37 effort that put her in a seven-woman group trailing Thailand’s PK Kongkraphan, who fired a 65. “I know the course, so I just focused on my game plan.”

13-year-old ace

Pauline del Rosario, the spearhead of the 14-strong PH contingent, mixed together three birdies against two bogeys to be one of 13 players that returned 71s counting Filipino amateur Mona Sarines, a 13-year-old who just failed to sustain a hot start and signed for two of her three bogeys on the back nine.

“Despite the pressure [of playing against top-caliber international pros], I’m happy with the way I played,” Sarines, one of four amateurs from the Philippines in the 96-strong field, said. “The experience is great. I had fun out there on the course.”

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Chanelle Avaricio signed for a level 72, and Daniella Uy returned a 73 to stay inside the projected cut line, with Mafy Singson to start Thursday’s second round on the bubble after shooting a 74 like Florence Bisera.