High hopes for Dottie as LA Open unwraps

LOS ANGELES – The stars and glitz of women’s golf mount their own “Showtime” as the LPGA Tour goes Hollywood with the biggest draw at the Wilshire Country Club here Thursday (Friday in Manila).

And Filipina pro Dottie Ardina hopes to feed on some confidence boost after her breakthrough finish last week as she slugs it out with the best of the best in the $1.5 million Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.

The 25-year-old Ardina completed a full tournament in Hawaii last week, finding some relief from woeful putting to make the cut after four outings and gaining a 47th place finish.

The ICTSI-backed bet, a two-time putting titlist in the developmental Symetra Tour, tested a new putter and grappled with her touch in the first three weeks before recalling back to duty her trusted Odyssey.

Still, the field looks formidable as Thai Moriya Jutanugarn opens defense of the crown she won last year with a four-day 12-under par total. The other notables are Lydia Ko, Brooks Henderson, Nelly Korda, In Bee Park, Paula Creamer and former world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park.

There are speculations that the winning score would be less than Jutanugarn’s card last year with the subtle terrors lurking on the contours and greens that could be as tough, sleek and fast as 12 read in stimpmeter. 

The Masters’ putting surfaces in Augusta reportedly were like putting on marble tops at 13 stimpmeter the Sunday Tiger Woods mastered them all for the fifth time.

“It’s a ball striker’s course, one cannot overpower it,” said Ardina, noting the wide and rolling fairways could be a battlefield for the long hitters.

“They can be very technical or creative, depending on the wind,” added Ardina.