PH Ladies Masters tees off at Alabang

A bumper crop of 90 made up of some of the region’s finest pros and amateurs tees off today in the first-ever $80,000 ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters at tree-lined and tricky Alabang Golf in Muntinlupa.

Several US LPGA veterans, counting the country’s Cyna Rodriguez and Fil-American Demi Runas, will be vying for the $17,000 champion’s prize as they bid to make a Filipino win the 54-hole event serving as closing leg of the Taiwan LPGA.

Dottie Ardina, who will be making her first LPGA appearance with a conditional status next year, is also entered and will be playing on home soil for the first time in a long while after making the United States home in quest of making the LPGA.

Princess Superal, who fell short in her first attempt to make the LPGA, also looms as one of the favorites.

Taiwan LPGA Order of Merit leader Lin Tzu-chi and a big number of her compatriots are also entered together with a few South Korean campaigners led by Lee Jeong-hwa, who is aiming to sweep the three Taiwan LPGA legs here after ruling the Splendido and Southwoods stops earlier this year.