Ardina blows lead, title bid in KL

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina put to naught a superb start with a backside meltdown, blowing a two-stroke lead with four holes to play and yielding the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open crown to Aretha Pan with a closing 72 at the Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam course in Malaysia Thursday.

Ardina, who had leaned on her steady putting to rally from three-shots down and lead by two after No. 14, four-putted the par-3 15th, enabling Pan to regain a one-stroke lead with a birdie for a crucial three-shot swing.

It was over from there for the top ICTSI-backed bet as she bogeyed the 16th after flubbing a four-footer for par. She then dropped another stroke on the par-5 17th after pushing her drive into the hazard then visited the water again from an errant 3-wood shot.

“She was 2-up going to No. 15 but failed to manage her game the last four holes and lost the crown,” rued ICTSI team coach Bong Lopez.

Ardina thus finished the way she started the final round, three shots behind Pan, her second straight 72 giving her a 54-hole total of 218.

Pan, who surged ahead with a solid 66 in the second round, also matched par 72 and snatched the victory at 215. The win also clinched her a spot in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Singapore in April where Ardina is the defending individual champion.

Ardina went to work early and birdied Nos. 3 and 6 from close range for a 34, forcing a tie with Pan, who made the turn at 37. The Filipina ace then hit birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 inside 8 feet for a four-under card and a two-shot lead over Pan.

But she pulled her tee-shot on the tough par-3 15th, the ball landing on a difficult position where she needed four putts to hole out. In contrast, Pan hit a birdie from 12 feet to regain the lead.

Kelly Tan wound up solo third at 221 after a 75 while Vivienne Chin shot a 73 and finished tied for third with Isza Fariza Ismail, who skied to a 78, at 223.

Reigning Philippine amateur champion Lovelynn Guioguio struggled with a 76 for joint sixth with Nur Durriyah Damian, who had a 78, at 226 while Princess Superal made a 75 for a 226 and Jayvie Agojo wavered with a 78 for a 230.