Ardina falls short again in WWGA

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina flubbed a three-foot putt for birdie on the 34th hole, enabling Jaclyn Jansen to snatch a 1-up victory in their showdown for the WWGA (Women’s Western Golf Association) NationalAmateur Championship crown in Rochester, Minnesota Saturday.

Ardina battled back from three strokes down after 27 holes and took a 1-up lead by winning four straight holes from No. 28.

But she fumbled with a missed green bogey on the 33rd and muffed a birdie putt from close range on the next to lose the title in another heartbreaker of a finish by the top ICTSI bet.

The 16-year-old Ardina, winner of the 2007 WWGA junior title, also lost the crown last year when she dropped a 2 and 1 setback to Taylore Karle of Arizona.

Ardina, who booted out teammate and reigning PhilippineLadies Amateur Open champion Cyna Rodrgiuez, 2 and 1, in the quarterfinals, then beat Ashley McKenney of Arizona, 2-up, in the semis, looked headed for a big comeback when she won No. 28 with a par, birdied the 29th from five feet and then tapped in for an eagle on her second stint on the par-5 12th to force an all-square match.

Sustaining her momentum, Ardina pounced on another missed-green bogey by Jansen on the 31st, making a regulation par to seize control and held on the 1-up lead by matching her rival’s par on the 32nd.

But Ardina seemed to have cracked under pressure as she missed the green on the 33rd, enabling Jansen to draw level with a par then the tall Baylor University junior student birdied the par-4 16th from around five feet.

Ardina, with a shorter birdie chance from three feet, crumbled and missed the putt and fell back again.

Jansen then matched Ardina’s regulation pars in the next two holes to clinch the victory in the event that drew 96 of the leading junior players in the world, including five other Filipina bets – Mia Piccio, Sarah Ababa, Daniella Uy, Bambee dela Paz and Andrea Unson.