Ardina wavers late, slides to tied 23rd in Orlando
MANILA, Philippines — Dottie Ardina faltered when it mattered most, double-bogeying the final hole to stumble to a 73 and fall to a tie for 23rd in the Orlando Health Championship at Grasslands Golf and Country Club ruled by Maddie McCrary in Florida on Sunday (Monday Manila time).
Ardina’s closing-hole collapse summed up a frustrating final round in which she failed to capitalize on a strong position after 36 holes. Entering the day tied for seventh, the Filipina Olympian had been in contention for a top finish but instead unraveled down the stretch.
A birdie on No. 2 briefly ignited hopes of a late surge, but momentum quickly slipped away with a costly double bogey on the par-3 third. She failed to recover and dropped another shot on the next, putting her on the back foot early.
Though she showed flashes of resilience with birdies on Nos. 6 and 8 to salvage an even-par 36 at the turn, Ardina struggled to sustain any real charge.
She moved to one-under for the day with a birdie on No. 10 but bogeyed the 13th to stall again. A birdie on the 16th offered a final chance to recover, but errant shots on the par-5 last hole led to a deflating double bogey and a closing 73.
The ICTSI-backed Ardina finished with a 214 total, tumbling into a six-way tie for 23rd alongside players including Clariss Guce, who rallied with a 69. The disappointing finish erased the gains Ardina had made in the second round and denied her a chance to improve on her tied 12th result in last week’s IOA Classic.
While Ardina stumbled, McCrary delivered a composed finish, birdieing two of the last six holes — including the 18th — for a 68 and a one-stroke victory at 204.
Mariel Galdiano mounted a fierce challenge, birdieing No. 16 and closing with an eagle for a 67, but fell just short at 205. Finland’s Kiira Riihijärvi claimed third at 206 after firing a bogey-free 64.
The Epson Tour now takes a month-long break before resuming on April 24-26 at the IOA Championship in California. The pause gives Ardina and fellow Filipina campaigners — Pauline del Rosario, Tomi Arejola and Sam Bruce — time to regroup and sharpen their games after a string of underwhelming results in the season’s opening stretch.
Del Rosario, also supported by the world’s leading port operator, tied for ninth in the first leg at Atlantic Beach Classic, also in Florida, but missed the cut in the next two.
- Latest
- Trending
