Ardina flashes brilliance, Pagdanganan lurks as Sweetgrass yields aces, barrage of birdies

MANILA, Philippines -- Dottie Ardina produced one of the tournament's most explosive starts, threatening to run away with the opening round before cooling off over the closing stretch and settling for a five-under 67 in the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Ardina came out firing from the back nine, opening with a spectacular eagle-birdie salvo from No. 10 before adding birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 to race into early contention. She kept the momentum going after the turn with another birdie on the par-3 third, reaching six-under and appearing poised to seize control of the 54-hole Epson Tour event.

But just as it seemed the ICTSI-backed campaigner had unlocked the par-72 layout, the course finally pushed back. A bogey on the fourth stalled her charge, and despite creating several more birdie opportunities, Ardina couldn't convert down the stretch. Her 67 eventually dropped her into a share of 19th as the rest of the field mounted an all-out assault on a Sweetgrass layout that offered little resistance.

Scoring conditions proved nearly ideal, and the leaderboard reflected it.

American Megan Schofill highlighted the scoring spectacle with a flawless eight-under 64 punctuated by a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 12. The ace capped a breathtaking opening stretch of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie from No. 10, and she added three more birdies coming home to grab a share of the lead.

Kelly Xu matched Schofill's 64 with a bogey-free round built on matching front- and backnine 32s, while China's Liqi Zeng overcame a slow start before erupting over her final 11 holes. After breaking a string of pars with a birdie on the eighth, Zeng caught fire with an eagle on the par-5 11th and birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 for a blistering back-nine 29 that completed the three-way tie atop the leaderboard.

The leading trio stood one shot clear of American Kaleiya Romero and Canada's Megan Osland, who matched 65s, while another 13 players signed for 66s in a remarkable scoring frenzy.

Romero's round was among the most spectacular. After an early bogey on No. 2, she bounced back with a birdie on the fourth, then holed out for eagle on the par-4 fifth. She wasn't done. Consecutive birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 set the stage for another magical moment – a hole-in-one, also on the 12th – before she capped her round with a birdie on No. 17.

Osland also rode the favorable conditions, stringing together three straight birdies from No. 10 to anchor her seven-under effort.

Despite slipping down the leaderboard, Ardina remained well within striking distance. Trailing by just three shots in a tournament where birdies have come in bunches, another hot start could quickly propel the Filipina back into the title picture.

Bianca Pagdanganan likewise positioned herself for a weekend charge. After an early bogey on No. 3, she responded with five birdies to salvage a four-under 68, leaving her tied for 29th and only four strokes behind the co-leaders.

Given her length off the tee and ability to produce low rounds, Pagdanganan, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, remained a legitimate contender if she can string together another aggressive performance over the final 36 holes.

Tomi Arejola also stayed within range after firing a bogey-free 69 to share 41st.

Clariss Guce looked headed for an even better start after birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 and another pair on Nos. 17 and 18 highlighted a four-birdie backside start. However, a costly double bogey on the eighth denied her a place alongside Pagdanganan, leaving her with a two-under 70 and a share of 64th – right on the projected cut line.

Sam Bruce, meanwhile, saw a promising round unravel. After turning in a roller-coaster 34 on the back nine, she bogeyed three of her last five holes to finish with a 73, dropping into a tie for 108th and facing an uphill battle to survive the cut. Pauline del Rosario also struggled, limping to a 76.