Ardina 5 shots off with 70, Arevalo flounders in Arkansas

MANILA, Philippines — Dottie Ardina used solid driving to card a two-under 70 for joint seventh but trailed a hot-starting Bailey Tardy of the US by five at the start of the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in Arkansas Friday (Saturday, Manila time).

The Filipina campaigner hit all fairways of the notoriously tough Mystic Creek Golf Club but struggled a bit on her way to the green, missing four, one of which she failed to rescue for her lone bogey on No. 12.

But her birdies on Nos. 2 and 6 on her way home put Ardina, who earlier birdied No. 11, back into the mix of things although Tardy’s fiery windup of three birdies in the last six holes at the front for a seven-under 65 gave the American a three-shot cushion over Aussie Grace Kim, who posted a 68, and five strokes clear of the ICTSI-backed bet.

Clariss Guce, who squandered her bid for a third Epson Tour crown in last week’s Guardian Championship, holed out with a bogey on the ninth to settle for a 72 and drop to joint 24th while Pauline del Rosario, another Team ICTSI mainstay, blew a backside 35 start with three bogeys against a lone birdie in the last seven holes for a 73 and a share of 34th.

But Abby Arevalo skied to an 80 after being named as one of the three players to watch in this week’s 54-hole championship following a strong tied for fourth effort last week.

She, however, failed to shake off a fumbling start of two bogeys and the same number of double bogeys after eight holes as she dropped two more strokes in the last five holes to fall to tied 99th in a field of 108 with a birdie-less 42-38 round.

Ardina, however, proved flawless off the mound, going 14-of-14 on a subdued 251-yard norm. She missed four greens but came away with two bunker saves and finished with 29 putts.

In contrast, Guce wrestled with her long game, missing five fairways. Though she made up for the struggle by reaching regulation 16 times, she found the tricky greens not to her liking, ending up with 34 putts.

Del Rosario, a noted long-hitter, slowed down with a 235-yard average and hit 13 fairways. But like Guce, she groped for her putting touch, winding up with 33 after missing four greens.

Arevalo, whose campaign is also supported by the world leading port operator, also flashed solid driving on a 13-of-14 clip but missed six greens and struggled with 37 putts.