SAN DIEGO—Heavy favorite Dottie Ardina’s putting woes in the back nine allowed three others to tie her for the lead even as big boy Miggy Yee, AR Ramos, Lou Daniella Uy and Bernice Olivarez-Ilas also figured in an impressive Philippine start Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) in the Callaway Junior World golf championships here.
Priming up for next week’s US Women’s Amateur, the 14-year-old Ardina went through the first six holes of the Oak Glen course of Sycuan Resort at three under par but could only score a two-under-70 and wound up in a tie with Suchaya of Thailand, Alina Ching of Hawaii and Airi Sugimoto of Japan at the top.
“Could have been better if not for some missed putts,” said a very confident Ardina whose only bogey for the day came off a bunkered approach on the 11th.
The 5-foot-7, 220-pound Yee made good use of his brawn while the much-smaller Ramos applied his accurate hitting on the tree-lined par-72 Lake San Marcos course as the La Salle-Greenhills grade schoolers carded a 70 and 71, respectively, to trail Indian frontrunner Virat Badwhar (68) in the boys 11-12 age-group.
A new hope emerged for the 41-strong RP contingent in the reed-thin Uy, who bravely battled the searing heat for a 73 that was just two off Ciera Min of Hawaii and Californian Garbiella Then.
Olivarez-Ilas, the daughter of former national tennis player Eva who placed third in the same division last year, was in the hunt again. She shot a 60, four adrift of Karah Sanford in the girls six-under division.
Yee came into the round confident after winning a long-driving contest. The gap could have been closer for Yee if not for a lost birdie opportunity on the par-5 18th where his second shot caught the lip of the bunker.
The Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines bets are backed by Philippine Airlines, Diamond Motors, Samsung, ICTSI and Crestlink.
THE FILIPINO SCORES
Class A (Torrey Pines South par-72): Boys—74 John Kier Abdon, 77 Marcel Puyat, 80 Jobim Carlos, 85 Marvin Mendoza; Girls (Carlton Oaks par-72)—75 Chihiro Ikeda, 77 Regina de Guzman, 78 Sunshine Baraquiel, 78 Louise Manalo.
Class B (Riverwalk par-72): Boys—74 Bino dela Paz, 78 Kevin Paul Orillos, 80 Miguel Tabuena, 80 Vijay Vasandani; Girls (Sycuan Resort-Oak Glen)—70 Dottie Ardina, 76 Andie Unson, 76 Marvi Monsalve, 80 Sarah Jane Ababa, 81 Angela de Villa, 83 Katya dela Cruz.
Class C (Lake San Marcos par-72) Boys—70 Miggy Yee, 71 AR Ramos, 80 Keanu Jahns; Girls—73 Lou Daniella Uy, 82 Felicia Medalla, 83 Leonci Tinio, 86 Juily Vasandani;
Class D (Lawrence Welk par-62) Boys—63 Ruperto Zaragosa III, 68 Kristoffer Arevalo, 69 Justin Dy; Girls (Lomas Santa Fe par-56)—64 Bianca Pagdanganan, 65 Mia Legaspi, 68 Abegail Arevalo, 68 Pauline del Rosario.
Class E (Sycuan-Pine Glen par-58): Boys—63 Ryan Monsalve, 63 Shailesh Vasandani, 78 Paolo Nicomedes; Girls—66 Kristine Torralba, 69 Chloe Reyes.
Class F (6-under Colina Park par-54) Girls—60 Bernice Olivarez-Ilas; Boys—71 Alex Bernard Trinos III, 85 Miguel Amando Ilas, 92 Joaquin Leandro Tronco.
