Ardina vows to do better next year

MANILA,Philippines — Calling her so-so LPGA season a “temporary setback,” Dottie Ardina vowed to do better next year and regain her full card status even via the backdoor through the Symetra Tour.

Still a card-bearing LPGA player with partial status, Ardina hopes to make an impact on tournaments she’s entered in to be able to reclaim her full status for the 2021 season.

“Those who finished in the Top 150 LPGA money list this season still keep their LPGA status,” said Ardina, who ranked No. 135 in the Race to CME Globe Season and is eligible to play on Monday qualifiers in 2020 LPGA events.

“But even if I can’t get it back outright into LPGA, I’ll play in Symetra with hopes of coming up with strong finishes to regain my full card for next season,” said Ardina, who secured her LPGA card for 2019 by finishing No. 2 in the 2018 Symetra Tour.

The ICTSI-backed Canlubang ace is also gearing up for next year’s Tokyo Olympics with amateur hotshot Yuka Saso after the duo kept their spots at Nos. 47-48 in the current Olympics Golf Rankings with Princess Superal and Fil-Am Clariss Guce as alternates.

In the hunt for LPGA cards after seven rounds of the grueling LPGA Q-Series in North Carolina, Ardina wavered in the last 18 holes and finished with a 74, ending up with a 579 total for 48th place.

Only the top 45 from the last cut-off group of 80 earned full LPGA status for 2020 with Asian Games bronze medalist Bianca Pagdanganan barely making it at tied 38th with a 576 aggregate despite a disastrous closing 78.

In 21 events in this year’s LPGA marred by a number of missed cuts, Ardina only posted a tied for 15th place finish as her best in Thornberry Creek Classic last July.