Last-hole mishap derails Ardina rally in Michigan

MANILA, Philippines — Dottie Ardina stumbled at the finish and ruined what could’ve been an explosive backside charge as she settled for another 70 and fell five strokes off Rachel Rohanna and two others in the Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek in Michigan Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

The veteran Filipina campaigner snapped a two-birdie, two-bogey game after 10 holes with three birdies in the next five holes but failed to rescue a par on the closing hole for a second straight pair of 35s.

The ICTSI-backed ace moved five spots up to joint 17th at 140 but trailed Rohanna by five after the American blazed the Battle Creek layout with seven birdies, including three to close out her solid 65 round for a 135 aggregate. 

Rohanna's fiery card forced a three-way tie for the lead with Chinese Xiaowen Yin and Gina Kim, also of the US.

Kim also turned in a bogey-free card of 67 while Yin also hit five birdies but missed wresting solo control with a bogey on No. 16 for a 68.

The troika led Louise Ridderstrom by one after the Swede shot a 66 for 136 while Weiwei Zhang, also of China, produced a 67 for joint fifth at 137 with Canada’s Maddie Szeryk and Aussie Grace Kim, who matched 68s.

But while Ardina made it to the final round of the 54-hole, $200,000 championship, compatriots Pauline del Rosario and Clariss Guce failed to advance with over-par rounds.

Del Rosario failed to recover from a shaky backside start of two bogeys in the first five holes, hitting two birdies but hobbling with two more miscues for a 74 and a 147. She missed the cut by three.

Guce, on the other hand, blew a decent 70 start with an error-filled 80 marred by four straight bogeys from No, 4 and compounded by a double bogey on the par-5 ninth. The two-time Epson Tour winner wound up with a 150.