PH Tour to host LPGA leg

MANILA, Philippines—Dottie Ardina and Mia Piccio will take a break from their United States tour to spearhead the local challenge in the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour which will host a leg of the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) on March 11 to 13 at Southlinks in Las Piñas.

The 54-hole tournament, presented by Champion Infinity, will serve as the fourth stage of the 20-leg Taiwan LPGA and will feature a slew of foreign players from Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Korea and the US. It will have a total prize fund of $75,000 (about P3.3 million).

Cyna Rodriguez, the back-to-back LPGT Order of Merit winner, will also see action along with Jayvie Agojo and Chihiro Ikeda.

It will mark the first time that the long-running Taiwan LPGA will hold a leg here, further boosting the local ladies pro tour launched by ICTSI two years ago to provide a circuit for the country’s professionals and amateur aces.

“Hosting a leg on the Taiwan LPGA speaks well of the LPGT repute as one of the rising circuits in the region,” said Colo Ventosa of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

“The upcoming tournament will not only boost local pro golf in terms of foreign participation but will also be a showcase of talents and skills of our local players,” she added.

American Tiffany Tavee, who lost in a playoff to Thai Nontaya Srisawang in the TLPGA’s third leg—the Grand Royal Open—last month, banners the crack foreign field that includes a slew of Taiwanese and Thai aces, who won two of the first three legs.

Pornanong Phatlum dominated the Hitachi Ladies Classic last January. And though Nontaya and Pornanong will not be around to go for a second crown, a talent-laden crew will be trying to extend the Thai domination, including Saraporn Chamchoi, Thanuttra Boonraksasat, Sarauttaya Ngam-usawan, Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul and Alisara Wedchakama.

The Taiwanese contingent, meanwhile, will be led by Chen Szu-han, Chen I-wen, Yeh Hsin-ning, Lee Hsin, Hung Pei-wen, Liu Ching-ju, Weng Li-ting, Pan Yen-ling, Chou Yi-tsen, Chen Chih-min and Liang Yi-ling.

But the locals are also out to prove their worth with Ardina raring to flaunt her skills and keep her perfect stint on the LPGT. The country’s top pro has won all her three stints on the country’s first-ever pro circuit, backed by Nike, Sharp and Custom Clubmakers.

Thais Amolkan Phalajivin, who broke Rodriguez’s streak and scored a breakthrough win at LPGT Splendido, has also been invited to join the event sponsored by ICTSI along with fellow Thais Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang, Hathaikarn Wongkaikijphaisal, Kurika Jang and Piyathida Ployumsri.

Others invitees are Sarah Henderson of Great Britain, Malaysian Ainil Bakar, Singapore’s Christabel Goh and amateur Jen Goh.