DOTTIE Ardina, the most decorated amateur the country has produced in the last decade, makes her pro debut and is tipped as the overwhelming pick when the P500,000 inaugural ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour tees off at The Country Club in Laguna.
Winning practically every huge title in the region and having a World Junior title to her credit, Ardina is a cut above the rest and could be treating this circuit as a tune-up to more lucrative international tours.
“I’m excited. I really worked double time in practice for this circuit,” said Ardina, who tees off at 9:30 a.m., just when the winds are expected to blow hard. “My target is to win.”
Also making her professional debut is former Philippine team mainstay Tracy Locsin-Que, who will have husband and multiple Asian Tour winner Angelo Que carrying her bag at the wind-swept layout.
This will be the first of five legs golf patron Ricky Razon has lined up to give ladies’ pro golf a boost and the opportunity was a welcome one for former European Tour campaigner Mary Grace Estuesta and long-time pro Lina de Guzman.
Jayvee Agojo, the former PH Ladies champion, is also in the field together with teaching pro Heidi Chua, Eva Miñoza and Anya Tanpinco.
Estuesta, a three-time Philippine Ladies Open winner and now the golf director at Sta. Elena, drew Kristine Leonen and amateur Cyna Rodriguez, also a former Phl Ladies Open champion, at 8:40 a.m.
Agojo, the former Hong Kong Amateur Open champion and winner of the Santi Cup individual crown in the Putra Cup last year, will start at 8:20 a.m. in the company of former jungolf star Reb Bareng and amateur Marvi Monsalve.
Chua, also a former Asian Games and SEA Games bronze medalist and the lady at the helm of Fungolf at Wack Wack, will tee off at 8:10 a.m. along with top amateur Princess Superal.
Teen sisters Nikki and Sam Bruce are also expected to figure prominently in the tournament after humbling the field to finish 1-2 in the recent LPGT Qualifier at the nearby Cangolf South course along with fellow amateurs Pauline Del Rosario and Sofia Chabon of ICTSI, Daniella Uy, Nicole Constantino and Annika Cedo. Musong R. Castillo