Swing to Win – World University Golf Championship Opens in Philippines

LUBAO, PAMPANGA — Swiss Henry Tschopp stumbled with an early bogey but birdied his last three holes to lead by four-under 68 at the start of the 2018 FISU World University Golf Championship at Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club here on Wednesday.
 
Tschopp came through with his lone bogey at the front nine with a run of gutsy pars before spiking an eagle on the par-5 12th, to lead by one stroke against Japanese Taisei Shimizu with 69 in the men’s division.
 
 “It was like an up and down a little bit. I started bad but I keep my patience and just relaxed,” said 19-year-old Tschopp after completing a routine par-5 on the 502-meters 18th and putting himself in early contention in the 72-hole championship sanctioned by FISU.  “I hope I can keep the momentum. Tomorrow (today) is a new day and I will just try the same strategy and maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t,”
 
Shimizu birdied two of the first three holes then bogeyed the par-5 No. 3, and hit other birdies on Nos. 5, 8, 12, and 15 to rescue his late bogeys on 11th and 16th. 
Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong, China gunned down two eagles and two birdies to negate his four bogeys and keep a solo lead at the third spot.
 
Filipino bet Jonas Magcalayo, as well as Jonathan Lai of Hong Kong, China, matched with a one-under 71 to force a four-way tie at fourth with Muhammad Razif of Malaysia, and Chao-Hua Lee of Chinese Taipei.
 
In the women’s division, Elodie Chapelet of France and Hei Name Isabella Leung of Hong Kong, China shared the lead with 73 while Ana Paula Ramirez Perea carded a 74 for the third position.  Japan and Hong Kong, China, meanwhile, tied at first in the team event with Shimizu spearheading the campaign for the former with 69 while Cheung prompted the latter with 70.

France took the early lead in the women’s team with 149 total, followed by Hong Kong, China and South Korea at tied second with 150.

A total of 68 student-athletes from 13 countries are seeing action in the four-day tournament supported by the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Arena Lux Enterprise, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Seascape Village and Aurora Securities, Inc.