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SAN DIEGO: Dottie Ardina captured a third title in the Callaway
Junior World championships after beating Alina Ching of Hawaii in a
sudden-death playoff for the girls’ 13 to 14 years division at the
Oak Glen course of the Sycuan Resort on Thursday (Friday in Manila)
here.
Ardina squandered a 7-stroke lead in regulation
play but took the crown when she 2-putted for par on the first extra
hole while Ching missed a short 3-footer and made bogey.
The 14-year-old Ardina, an ICTSI scholar at the
David Leadbetter Academy in Florida, put to waste a brilliant
5-under 31 stint in the front nine and ended up with a 73 and a 214
total, the same 72-hole output of Ching who forged a tie with an
even-par 72 round.
“Of all my championships, this one’s the
most satisfying because I won it by a playoff. I really thought
I’ve blown it,” said Ardina, who will take part in next week’s
US Women’s Amateur in Eugene, Oregon.
With her third title in seven years, Ardina is
now the second winningest Filipino campaigner in the Junior World
behind Ramon Brobio who has four.
The national contingent backed chiefly by
Philippine Airlines as the official carrier, Samsung, Diamond Motors
and Crestlink also got a second place finish by Bernice Olivarez-Ilas
and a third place effort by Miggy Yee.
Ilas lost by one to Malaysia’s Natasha Oon in
the girls’ 6-under play. Oon, daughter of a Malaysian IT executive
based in Manila, carded a 61-179 while Bernice closed out with a 63
for 180,
Ilas kept it close and was still tied for the
lead despite 3-putting the 17th but Oon banged in a winning birdie
on the final hole at Colina Park.
Yee yielded the boys’ 11 to 12 years title to
Filipino migrant Rico Hoey after a 73 in the final round.
Hoey, winner of the 9 to 10 years title two
years ago, came through with a tournament-best five-under 67 for
210.
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