Ardina rallies for joint 29th; Guce ties for 14th in ShopRite LPGA Classic 

MANILA, Philippines – Dottie Ardina charged back home to salvage a one-over 72 and finish tied at 29th in the ShopRite LPGA Classic ruled by Canadian Brooke Henderson via playoff over Lindsey Weaver-Wright in New Jersey Sunday (Monday, Manila time).

The veteran Filipina campaigner, who started the final round of the 54-hole championship at joint 14th, reeled from a horrible double-bogey-bogey start and slipped farther back with two more mishaps against a birdie at the backside of the par-71 Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club’s Bay layout. But she closed out with three birdies in the last four holes to save a 40-32 round for a 210 in a tie with 12 others.

Her joint 29th effort, worth $11,420, was her best in four LPGA events marred by a missed cut stint in the recent US Women’s Open. She tied for 64th at both the Cognizant Founders Cup and Lotte Championship.

But the ICTSI-backed shotmaker scored her maiden triumph on the Epson Tour, the LPGA’s farm league, rallying in the final round to snare the Copper Rock Championship in Utah last April.

She nurtured hopes to go for a strong performance this week with an impressive first round 67 that netted her a spot at joint third, just two strokes of opening day leader Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia.

She, however, stumbled with a second round 71 and failed to get untracked in the final round.

But all throughout, she flashed awesome form off the tee, hitting all 14 fairways in the final round. But she struggled with her irons and putter, missing five greens and ending up with 32 putts.

Henderson, meanwhile, battled back from four down at ninth place with a solid 64 then nipped Weaver-Wright in sudden death with an eagle against the latter’s par on No. 18 to annex her 11th LPGA victory. She tied Weaver-Wright, who fired a 65, at 201.

England’s Jodi Shadoff missed forcing a three-way tie at 202 after a second straight 67.

Over in the Epson Tour, Filipino-American Clariss Guce closed out with a 69 to tie for 14th in the Carolina Golf Classic won by Lucy Li, also via playoff over fellow American Alexa Pano in Kinston, also Sunday.

Guce, a two-time Epson Tour winner, hit two birdies at the front then fought back from a bogey on No. 13 with three birdies in the last four to shoot a four-under round for a 72-hole 274 total.

Li, on the other hand, carded a 69 to tie Pano, who settled for an even par 71, at 265 then birdied the first playoff hole to clinch the crown at the Kinston Country Club course