Ardina packs Beverly crown for LPGA journey

MEXICO, Pampanga—When Dottie Ardina flies abroad for her LPGA Tour campaign, she will have a morale-boosting tiara inside her carry-on.

Ardina fired a closing 67 on Friday to cruise to a six-stroke victory in the ICTSI Beverly Place Ladies Classic here.

Two-up over a pair of Thai rivals after 36 holes, Ardina hiked her lead to four over Chonlada Chayanun with back-to-back birdies from No. 2 and though she slipped with a bogey on the par-3 No. 8, no one failed to cash in, enabling the 25-year-old Canlubang ace to scoot home to victory on a 32-35 card she spiked with three birdies in the last six holes.

“This victory means so much to me,” said Ardina, who compiled a 54-hole total of seven-under 206 worth P150,000.

More importantly, the win primed Ardina up for her return to the LPGA Tour as a full-card holder starting in the Handa Vic Open on Feb. 7 in Victoria, Australia, and the Australian Open on Feb. 14 in Grange.

“I needed to build on my confidence since I am facing the best golfers in these two tournaments. I have to be in top form, mentally and physically,” she added.

Ardina’s triumph also broke the foreign bets’ strong start in the seventh season of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour put up by ICTSI kicked off by  Korean Lee Ji-hyeon’s victory in Baguio last October.

Four shots off Ardina at the start of the final round, Pauline del Rosario pressed her bid in a flight ahead with birdies on Nos. 6 and 14 but the 2017 LPGT Order of Merit champion could only come closest at four as Ardina put the outcome beyond doubt with birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 16.

Del Rosario, who racked up four victories in her imposing rookie LPGT season two years ago, shot the day’s only other two-under par card of 69 for a 212 as she took runner-up honors worth P95,000 in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Bracing for a tight finish, Ardina put the pressure on her pursuers with those early birdie binge, which Chayanun and Punpaka Phuntumabamrung failed to match.