DOTTIE ARDINA closed out with a two-under 69 to finish in a tie for 27th in the Shoprite LPGA Classic ruled by Sweden’s Linnea Strom in epic come-from-behind fashion Sunday in Galloway, New Jersey.
Ms. Ardina, the only Filipina left standing in the 54-hole event with exit of Bianca Pagdanganan, Fil-Japanese Yuka Saso and Clariss Guce, leaned on her impressive driving and putting skills to fire nines of 34-35 and leap 10 notches in the final standings at six-under 207.
The ICTSI-backed ace had a solid 235-yard drive and hit all but two fairways at the Seaview Bay Course. Though she missed regulation eight times, she made up for it by finishing her round in just 25th putt.
Ms. Ardina, who birdied Nos. 3 and 9 and offset a bogey mishap on the par-3 15th with a birdie on the 18th, earned $12,687 (about P746,000) for this placing.
Meanwhile, after barely making the 36-hole cut, Ms. Strom blew the opposition away with a flawless tournament-record 11-under 60 spiked by an eagle and nine birdies.
From 52nd after two rounds, Ms. Strom zoomed all the way to the championship at 140-under 199, edging Japan’s Ayaka Furue and the USA’s Megan Khang, who tallied identical 200s after 65 and 66, respectively.
Ms. Strom posted the lowest final-round score by a winner in LPGA Tour history, eclipsing the 61 of Inbee Park in the 2014 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, and matched the second-lowest score behind Annika Sorenstam’s 59 in the second round of the 2001 Standard Register PING. — Olmin Leyba
