Ardina snatches crown as Lee gets disqualified

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina struggled to card a four-over 76 but took the Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship when three-day leader Min Lee was disqualified for signing a wrong scorecard in Yangmei, Taiwan late Friday.

Ardina, who rallied from five strokes down to get within one off Lee with a flawless 70 Thursday, found the going tough in the final round of the 72-hole championship, failing to salvage pars inside six feet thrice and finished with a 76.

Lee, the top local bet who showed the way in the first three rounds, also limped home with a 76 but signed her card without double-checking a wrong entry, leading to her disqualification.

That enabled the top ICTSI bet to snatch the crown at 292, counting her earlier rounds of 74 and 72, beating another Taiwanese in Min Jou Chen, who had a 298 after a 73.

“It was really a struggle given the tough playing condition in the final round but Dottie hung on and pressed her bid until she got some luck. But a win is a win,” said ICTSI team coach Bong Lopez.

The victory thus kept Team ICTSI-Philippines’ win run going the last three weeks after Jayvie Agojo bagged the Santi Cup individual crown in Indonesia and Cyna Rodriguez nipped Agojo in a playoff for the Hong Kong Amateur Open title last week.

Thai Supamas Sangchan skied to 80 but still wound up third at 299 in a tie with Japan’s Minami Katsu, just three behind Lee at the start of the final round, but also succumbed to pressure and ended up with an 81.

Malaysian Kelly Tan finished fifth with a 300 after a 79.

Rodriguez, however, failed to recover from a poor start with a poorer finish of 79 as she ended up seventh at 302 while Agojo made an 81 and wound up a dismal 12th at 306.