ICTSI Splendido: Thai completes wire-to-wire win

Pavarisa Yoktuan exploited Dottie Ardina’s wobbly start to complete a wire-to-wire seven-stroke victory in the ICTSI Splendido Ladies Classic Friday, becoming the second Thai to win after four legs of the 2018 Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Bracing for a final round showdown with Ardina, Yoktuan pulled away by five despite a par-game at the turn as Ardina faltered with three bogeys in a birdie-less frontside stint at Splendido Taal Golf Club course.

It was cruise control for the Thai from there as Ardina failed to rebound with three more bogeys against a lone birdie.

Yoktuan scooted home to victory with a closing 72 on a two-birdie, two-bogey stint for a 54-hole total of 210 worth P150,000.

“It’s a nice feeling to win here for the first time,” said the 24-year-old Yoktuan who placed third in last week’s ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational won by Chihiro Ikeda in a three-hole playoff over Korean Lee Ji Hyeon. “The greens were fast but overall, the course was in perfect shape.”

She thus added up to the growing list of Thai winners in recent LPGT tournaments, including Renuka Suksukont at the PH Ladies Masters, Yupaporn Kawinpakorn at South Forbes last December and Beverly Place last month with Ikeda breaking their romp with a victory at Eagle Ridge early this month.