Issa fights back in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic:

Mattea Issa demonstrated the resilience of a seasoned competitor on day two of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games at the Corales Golf Club, bouncing back from a disappointing opening round with a gritty two-over-par 74 yesterday.

After carding a 79 in Saturday’s first round, the Jamaican found herself staring down the barrel of another tough day when she double-bogeyed the opening par-four hole at the windswept coastal layout.

But rather than letting her tournament unravel, Issa dug deep, showing the kind of mental fortitude that has become her trademark.

“Again, a lot of positives to take away, and I can see clearly what I need to do,” Issa reflected after her round.

“I struggled again on the first hole, making double with a three-putt. So I finished today’s round two over. That means I played the rest of the holes even par.”

The recovery was immediate and emphatic. Issa strung together four consecutive pars before lighting up the par-four 6th with a well-earned birdie.

She maintained her composure to make the turn at two-over, then briefly touched plus-one with a birdie on the par-three 11th.

A bogey on the 15th momentarily checked her momentum, but she slammed the door shut with pars on the final three holes to finish with a combined score of 153, good for sole possession of sixth place.

“The conditions were equally as difficult as Saturday, as the wind was howling. The course and the greens are playing super quick. It’s not an easy course. The rough is very thick. So all of that given, today was a solid round.”

The improvement from day one to day two was evident, particularly with the flat stick.

“My putting was slightly better today, which is what I wanted to improve on from yesterday,” Issa said.

“If I can use that, but have a better start, and my finish was better today, so if I can just control that a little bit better, hopefully I can put together a good round.”

With two rounds remaining, Issa’s strategy is clear.

“Round three is just to keep my head down, keep focused. We’ve finished the first half of the event, so we still have a long way to go. Just keeping that in mind, conserving energy as best as I can, and just trying to do what I did today.”

Puerto Rico’s Maria Fernanda Torres continues to set the pace atop the leaderboard, following her opening 70 with a four-over 76 to remain in pole position at 146.

Colombia’s Maria Bohorquez sits just one shot back at 147 after rounds of 71 and 76. At the same time, Costa Rica’s Luciana Vilchez made the biggest move of the day, vaulting from fifth to third following an impressive 73.

On the men’s side, Jamaica’s Oshae Haye also found some momentum, improving on his opening 84 by shooting a seven-over-par 79 on day two. Haye remains in 14th place with a total of 163.

The Jamaican’s round was a roller-coaster affair, featuring one birdie, two bogeys, and a double bogey on the front nine. After a bogey on the par-four 10th, Haye clawed back a shot with a birdie on the par-five 15th, but four consecutive bogeys down the stretch saw him finish seven-over for the day.

Guatemala’s Jose Toledo continues to lead the men’s field, firing a second-round 69 to accompany his blistering opening 64, maintaining his grip on the gold-medal position.