Ardina loses win run, takes second

MANILA, Philippines – Dottie Ardina blew her bid for a third straight crown on the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) as she fumbled with a two-over par 74 and lost by three shots to Kendall Prince of Oregon in the Terra Lago Open at the Golf Club at Terra Lago in North-Indio, California Sunday.

Prince, runner-up in the San Ramon Open two weeks ago, fired a two-under par 70, clinching the win with a crucial two-shot swing on the par-5 17th which she birdied and Ardina bogeyed. She finished the 36-hole tournament on the West Coast with a 147.

The ICTSI-backed Ardina, who started the day one stroke ahead of Prince, hung tough with an even par 36 after 9 holes but dropped a shot on No. 11, enabling her rival to draw level. The American shotmaker took the lead with a birdie on the 14th then pounced on Ardina’s bogey mishap on the 17th.

The 15-year-old Ardina settled for runner-up honors after back-to-back wins in the Eagle Creek and Plantation Inn Opens in the East Coast with a 150.

Sarah Ababa wound up fourth with a 157 after a 77, one stroke behind third placer Nicole Zhang of Canada, who also closed out with a 77 for a 156.