INQUIRER Sports

DOTTIE ARDINA NIPPED LOW MEDALIST Sara Ovadia, 2 and 1, Thursday to reach the finals of the PNGA (Pacific Northwest Golf Association) Women?s Amateur Championship at the Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Oregon.

The 15-year-old Ardina birdied the par-5 16th, then matched Ovadia?s par on the next hole to secure the victory and her second stint in a final in the last three weeks.

She earlier subdued ICTSI teammate Chihiro Ikeda over 19 holes in a thrilling duel and then stayed focused against Ovadia, who turned back Liu Shu-yun, 3 and 1, in the other quarterfinal pairing.

Ardina, the top ICTSI golf scholar who recently ruled the national amateur championship back home, grabbed the lead when Ovadia bogeyed the par-3 second hole.

Although the ace Filipina shotmaker never led by as many two holes, Ardina kept Ovadia at bay with clutch pars on Nos. 9 and 11, both which the California ace bogeyed.

An Ardina double bogey on No. 13 enabled Ovadia to close within a hole but the Filipino delivered the killer blow with a six-foot birdie on the 16th.

A routine par on the 17th clinched the tough win for Ardina, who will try to erase the stigma of her loss to Arizona?s Taylore Karle in the WWGA (Women?s Western Golf Association) Championship in Ohio last June 21.

Cyna Rodriguez, who nipped Anya Tanpinco for the crown here last year, bowed to Kendra Little, 6 and 4, in the quarterfinals. Little then trounced Pamela Burneski, 7 and 5, to set up a duel with Ikeda.