Ardina bags title; Phl 2nd in Sirikit Cup

MANILA, Philippines –  Dottie Ardina used a strong start and a solid finish to fire a two-under 70 and turn back world No. 1 Hyo Joo Kim to snatch the individual crown in the 33rd Queen Sirikit Cup at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi, India Friday.

The Philippines settled for runner-up finish to South Korea, which cruised to its fifth straight victory in team play. But Ardina stunned the field with her awesome game, finishing with a 211 and nipping the fancied Hyo by one in their battle for the individual crown.

“I really wanted to win that’s why I gave it my best shot,” said Ardina, who overcame a three-stroke deficit to beat Korea’s top player. “It’s just too bad that we fell short of our title drive in team play.”

But her victory more than made up for the team’s failed bid as Ardina proved her worth and showed she can beat even the best player in world.

With Chihiro Ikeda bouncing back with a 71 after a 78 in the second round, the Phl closed out with a second straight 141 and a 429, four shots off Korea’s 425 aggregate in the 54-hole tournament among the leading teams in the Asia-Pacific region.

Jayvie Agojo, who counted for the team with a 71 in the second round, had a 74 and didn’t count for the squad, whose campaign was sanctioned by the Women’s Golf Association of the Phils. and sponsored by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Hyo, the reigning World Amateur individual champion, cracked under pressure and hobbled with a 74 for the team’s 143 output.

“It was a big win and a big boost for Dottie. By beating the world No. 1, I’m sure she’ll be winning big tournaments again,” said national team coach and ICTSI mentor Bong Lopez, whose wards also posted the country’s best finish at No. 8 in the World Amateurs last year while re-staking their claim as the top ladies team in Southeast Asia.

Ardina, 17, birdied the first three holes in impressive fashion to catch up with Hyo but dropped a shot on No. 4 and made the turn at 34. She three-putted No. 11 for another bogey and dropped two shots on the long par-3 12th when she pulled her 4-iron tee shot in the bushes.

But the veteran internationalist bounced back with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 inside five feet and took a one-shot lead over the Korean ace heading to the par-5 18th. Hyo reached the green in two but flubbed an 18-foot eagle putt while Ardina laid it up and pitched to within five feet to match her rival’s birdie for the win.