Ardina breaks playoff woes, rises Down Under

MANILA, Philippines – Dottie Ardina bounced back from back-to-back playoff losses with a stirring win in the Ballarat Icons Pro-Am tournament, edging Scot Kylie Henry and Chinese Xi Yu Lin also in sudden death at the Ballarat Golf Club in Australia Monday.

The Filipina ace came through with a superb 8-iron shot from 120 yards to within three feet of the par-4 18th then calmly drilled the putt after Henry and Lin flubbed their respective bids from longer range.

The troika finished tied at five-under 139 with Ardina and Henry closing out the 36-hole tournament with 70s and Xi rallying with a 69 to force a three-way playoff in cold, blustery conditions.

It was the Canlubang pro’s third playoff stint in less than two weeks on the 2020 ALPG (Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour). She lost in sudden death for a spot in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in the ALPG Qualifying Tournament at Windaroo Lakes and blew another bid in two extra holes at the Aoyuan International Moss Vale Pro-Am last week.

Ardina, 26, actually took a three-shot lead with two holes left at Aoyuan Int’l but holed out with a bogey and double-bogey for a 72, enabling Belgian Manon de Roey to force a sudden death at 140 after a 69.

Both parred the first playoff hole but de Roey snared the crown on a birdie-blast in their trip on the tough 18th of the Moss Vale Golf Club.

Her victory at Ballarat, meanwhile, is expected to bolster Ardina’s confidence as she heads to the A$1.5 million ISPS Handa Vic Open firing off Thursday (February 6) at the 13th Beach Golf Links in Victoria and the Symetra Tour in the US, which gets going next month.