Ardina 6 shots adrift in Taiwan Amateur

MANILA, Philippines -  Dottie Ardina blew a fine start with a wavering finish as she faltered with a two-over 74 and trailed Taiwanese Min Lee by six at the start of the Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship in Yangmei, Taiwan late Tuesday.

Ardina, who missed Team ICTSI-Philippines’ successful campaign in the last two weeks to compete in the US, opened her bid with a long birdie on No. 13 and a couple of scrambling pars but hobbled on the greens of Sunrise Golf and Country Club the rest of the way and fumbled with three bogeys.

She dropped to joint seventh with local bet Min Jou Chen as teammates Jayvie Agojo, Princess Superal, Sarah Ababa, Cyna Rodriguez and Lovelynn Guioguio all struggled on the unpredictable putting surface of the up-and-down layout.

Agojo, who humbled a tough field to win the individual crown in the Santi Cup in Indonesia, made a 75 in a tie with Superal, while Ababa lay a shot farther back at 76.

Rodriguez, who nipped Agojo in the playoff to capture the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open crown last week, sputtered with a 77 while Guioguio limped home with a 78.

Lee flashed her familiarity with the layout and fired that 68 to post a two-shot lead over Japan’s Minami Katsu while Thailand’s Savitree Thavong, Malaysia’s Kelly Tan and Aretha Pan all shot 73s.