Ardina shares lead in world junior golf

SAN DIEGO, California – The best of the present and the future of Philippine junior golf paced the country’s title drive in Day One of the Callaway Junior World Championships in nine courses here Tuesday.

Multi-titled Dottie Ardina figured in a four-way tie at the helm in the girls 13-14 class with a two-under 70, big boy Miggy Yee of La Salle finished second two shots off the lead in the boys 11-12 with a 70 while Bernice Olivarez Ilas also came in second in the girls 6-and-under despite a faltering finish for a 60.

Two other Filipinos kept the leaders within sight as AR Ramos, another La Salle Greenhills student, leaned on the strength of three straight birdies to gain joint third in the 11-12 division at 71 and Daniella Uy birdied the 15th to take third spot after a 73, two shots off the pace, also in Class C (11-12).

A number of bets in the 41-member RP delegation backed by Philippine Airlines, Samsung, Diamond Motors, Crestlink and ICTSI put in decent scores while some staggered in searing heat and summer winds in the annual event that drew the best juniors from 40 countries.

The 14-year-old Ardina, one of the spearheads of the ICTSI squad, held on to a three-under par card for 11 holes at the Sycuan Resort-Oak Glen layout, hit a bunker on the 11th for her lone bogey before missing three makeable birdie putts coming home for her 70.

“Good start but it could’ve been better if not for those birdie putts I missed,” said Ardina in Filipino as she settled in a logjam with Thai Suchaya, Airi Sugimoto and Alina Ching for a one-shot lead. Two other Pinays – Andie Unson and Marvi Monsalve – were six shots down with 76s.

Yee, a chubby 5-foot-7 220-pound 11-year-old with a man-sized game, had an up-and-down round for a 36-34 card at plush Lake San Marcos course. He blew a chance to come within a shot of Indian leader Virat Badhwar’s 68 when he found the bunkers on a four-iron 190-yard second shot facing the winds on the par-5 18th.

“I played well today,” said Yee, a Southwoods standout whose best finish in Junior World was seventh in the 8-and-under category.

Ilas, third placer last year and a daughter of former national tennis Eva Olivarez, trailed pacesetter Karah Sanford (56) who needed a hole-in-one and a final hole birdie against the RP bet’s double bogey on the 17th for a four-shot edge at Colina Park.

Ramos, 11, came charging back with five birdies, three in a cluster from the eighth against four bogeys for his 71 while Uy, the RP’s top bet in Class C, had an even card on the front nine, reeled from a double bogey on the 12th, then birdied the 15th en route to a 73. Ciera Min of Hawaii and Californian Garbiella showed the way with 71s.

Reigning national women’s champion Chihiro Ikeda, another ICTSI entry, was five shots down in the centerpiece girls’ 15-17 class at Carlton Oaks after a three-over 75 while Regina de Guzman had a 77 and Sunshine Baraquiel and Lou Isabelle Manalo carded 78s.

San Beda Alabang graduate John Kier Abdon was the best placed Filipino in the boys’ side at Torrey Pines South with 74, five shots off the lead, in the boys’ side. Marcel Puyat carded a 77, Jobim Carlos made an 80 and Marvin Mendoza turned in an 85.

Bino dela Paz came in joint 21st in the boys’ 13-14 following a 74, Canlubang’s Rupert Saragoza was tied at 15th out of 105 entries in the boys’ 9-10 class at Lomas Santa Fe with a 63, five shots off the leaders’ 58 cards while Bianca Pagdanganan led the Filipinas with a 64.

Kristine Torralba was tied for 14th in the 7-8 category with a 66 while Chloe Reyes checked in with a 69. Ryan Monsalve and Shailesh Vasandani of Cebu had identical 63s in the boys’ section.