Ladies tour 3rd leg tees off at Eagle Ridge

THE ULTRA-TOUGH Aoki Course of Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Cavite will host the third leg of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour that tees off today with no clear favorite in the absence of Dottie Ardina.

Cyna Rodriguez, a former Philippine Ladies champion, will make the P500,000, 54-hole event her professional debut and is tipped as one of the players to beat together with Jayvie Agojo and a slew of veterans.

Ardina begged off from playing this week as she is trying to earn an LPGA Tour card in the United States. That left Rodriguez and Agojo the logical favorites in the compact field that also includes several former junior standouts.

The seasoned Anya Tanpinco and Lovelyn Guioguio are also expected to contend for the P100,000 champion’s purse with the likes of Eva Miñoza, Sarah Ababa and the returning Tracy Locsin Que as the darkhorses.

Ardina won the first two events convincingly and her sharp form in those legs has given her the confidence to try her luck at the highest level in the United States.

Agojo was fifth both times and the cool and calculating veteran is definitely ripe for a breakthrough pro victory in this event that was originally scheduled last week.

Rodriguez will be trying to duplicate Ardina’s feat in the first leg, when Ardina debuted as a pro with a victory at her home course The Country Club in Laguna.

The event is sponsored by International Container Terminal Services Inc. and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and backed by Nike Golf, Pacsports, Gatorade, Sharp and Custom Clubmakers.