Ardina fires 70, keeps ICTSI Valley golf lead

Dottie Ardina fell behind by three but finished strong for the second straight day, firing a 2-under-par 70 yesterday to stay ahead by one over Lovelyn Guioguio going into the final round of the ICTSI Valley Golf Ladies Challenge at Executive course in Antipolo.

As in her opening 69 on Tuesday, Ardina picked up five shots in her last five holes for a 139 aggregate that kept Guioguio at bay and enabled her to keep the lead with 18 holes left in her return stint in the circuit.

Mia Piccio, who is seeing action as a pro on home soil for the first time, followed up an ugly 76 with a tournament-best 66 to put herself in the mix at 142.

Cyna Rodriguez fired a 69 and remained in the hunt at 144 with Splendido leg champion Amolkin Phalajivin of Thailand matching par for 145, six shots adrift in the hunt for the P100,000 winner’s check.

“The greens have become even slower because of the (overnight) rain,” said Ardina, who won the first two legs of this circuit last year before pursuing her LPGA dream. “The thing to do is hit it closer to the pins tomorrow.”

Guioguio, who is also looking to win for the first time as a pro, went three shots ahead over Ardina after a birdie on the par-5 10th, only to waver with a three-putt double bogey from 15 feet two holes later.

Piccio nailed four of her seven birdies in the back nine. Though she finished with a bogey, her effort still gave her a solid shot at the crown and the chance to become just the fifth player to win in the circuit behind Ardina, Rodriguez, Jayvie Agojo and Amolkin.