Ardina eyes stronger finish in Aussie Open golf

MANILA, Philippines – Dottie Ardina hopes to ride on her strong windup in the ISPS Handa Vic Open last week as she aims for a better finish against a souped-up field in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, which gets under way Thursday in Grange, South Australia.

The Canlubang pro rallied with a birdie and an eagle in the last four holes to close out with a 72 and salvage a joint 20th place finish in the Vic Open in Victoria, gaining some kind of a confidence-boost heading to the $1.3 million event where she missed the cut last year.

But the ICTSI-backed Ardina has regained her form and churned out an impressive campaign in the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) Tour. In fact, she leads the ALPG ClubCar series with 978.33 points on a victory in the Ballarat Icons Pro-Am two weeks ago, a seventh place effort in the Findex Yamba Pro-Am and a losing playoff stand in the Aoyuan Moss Vale Pro-Am.

She is also currently in sixth place in the ALPG Order of Merit ranking with earnings of $26,523.

But heading to the Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Ardina faces a formidable cast of rivals headed by defending champion Nelly Korda of the US, who beat 2018 titlist and last year’s LPGA OOM winner Jin Young Ko, who is also out to regain her crown in the 72-hole championship serving as the fourth leg of this year's LPGA Tour.

Also in the fold are Aussie Minjee Lee, Lydia Ko of New Zealand, England’s Bronte Law, Korean Jeong Eun Lee and compatriot Hee Young Park, who beat fellow Korean Choi Hye-Jin on the fourth playoff hole to win the Vic Open crown last Sunday. So Yeon Ryu actually made it a three-way playoff but bowed out after the second extra hole.

Rookie pro and 2018 Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso, meanwhile, is out to make up for her missed cut stint last week as she joins the hunt as one of the invitees to the event serving as the ninth stop of the 11-leg ALPG 2019/20 circuit.