Dottie Ardina blew a three-stroke lead after 11 holes and hobbled home with a one-over 73, enabling Thailand’s Panitta Yusabai to snatch the Optimist International Junior Golf crown with a 70 at the PGA National Golf and Resort at West Palm Beach in Florida Sunday.
Ardina fumbled with a double-bogey at the par-5 No. 12 and then dropped another stroke on No. 16.
The pair of bogeys negated a solid 34 on the front nine that put her three shots clear of erstwhile leader Maria Torres of Puerto Rico and a charging Yusabai.
The Thai, two behind Ardina at the start of the final round, parred the first five holes at the back and then pounced on a crucial two-shot swing at the par-4 16th, which she birdied.
She then matched the Filipina’s pars in the last two holes to clinch the victory at 288.
Ardina wound up with a 289, annexing a second straight runner-up finish after also yielding to another Thai in last week’s US Girls Juniors Championship in Illinois.
Torres cracked under pressure and made a 75, tumbling down to third with a 290, while second-round leader Daniela Darquela of Ecuador carded a 73 for fourth at 292.
Andie Unson, another ICTSI mainstay, followed up a 68 with a 71 to salvage joint fifth at 293, in a tie with Anna Bohmer of Colombia.
Unson’s teammate Sarah Ababa matched par 72 for 15th place at 302.