Ardina makes move in weather-hit French Lick Charity Classic

MANILA, Philippines -- Dottie Ardina carded a one-under card after 13 holes when third round play was suspended again in the weather-hit French Lick Charity Classic with American Gabriella Then catching Swede Linnea Strom at the helm in Indiana Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

Ardina, who made the cut despite a second round 75 marred by three straight bogeys from No. 4 at resumption of the second round early Saturday, snapped a par-game at the back with a birdie on No. 18 of the par-72 Pete Dye course. The veteran ICTSI-backed campaigner then parred the first four holes at the front before play was halted due to lightning as she joined five others at provisional 18th spot.

Round 3 will resume early Sunday (Sunday evening in Manila) with the final round of the 72-hole $330,000 championship to start after a break.

Then bucked tough, wet conditions to fire a second round 69 and tie Strom, who shot a 71, at 137, a stroke ahead of Korean Hyo Joo Kang, who also turned in a 71 for 138, and two shots up on Maddi Caldwell-Young of the US and Daniela Darquea of Ecuador, who pooled 139s after a 67 and 71, respectively.

Meanwhile, Abby Arevalo, who also advanced despite a second round 73, scrambled in a wild third round play, hitting three birdies against the same number of bogeys but fell in the rankings with a double-bogey on the par-3 No. 8.

She had a two-over card when play was stopped after they holed out on No. 12.

Pauline del Rosario, on the other hand, missed the cut by one with a 75 for a 149 in the event serving as the 14th leg of the 21-stage Epson Tour, the farm league of the LPGA.

Over in Scotland, Yuka Saso also extended her run of woes in the world's premier ladies circuit particularly in the majors, as she failed to advance in the windy AIG Women’s Open, which also suffered weather delays at Muirfield in East Lothian.

Saso, the 2021 US Women’s Open champion and whose campaign is also backed by the world's leading port operator, fought back with a 73 after a 75 but her 148 total was two strokes off the cutoff line. Also making an early exit was world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who rallied with a 71 but fell short by one with a 147 aggregate.
Saso, who has made it to the weekend play 22 straight times until she stumbled in the LPGA Drive On in Florida last February, has missed the cut five times in her last eight tournaments, including three in the majors.

Meanwhile, South African Ashleigh Buhai flashed awesome form from tee to green, producing eight birdies before dropping a stroke on the 18th for a stirring 64 as she zeroed in on her first major championship at 199.

That was five strokes clear of Japanese Hinako Shibuno and Korean In Gee Chun, who pooled identical 204s after a 66 and 70, respectively.

The rest are too far behind, including multi-major winner Inbee Park of Korea and Swede Madelene Sagstrom, who tied at fourth at 206 after 70 and 71, respectively. But no lead is safe in such tricky conditions although Buhai’s five-stroke lead could prove to be a huge cushion given her emphatic performance in moving day.