Korean, Ardina cruise to WWWEx-DHL wins

MANILA, Philippines - Korean Shin Jin Woo outdueled Andres Saldana and Gio Gandionco in a frontside shootout and went to card a 73 and bag the boys’ crown by two over Jonar Austria while Dottie Ardina copped the girls’ diadem with a five-shot romp over Sunshine Baraquiel in the WWWExpress-DHL Amateur Golf Championships at Cangolf’s north course in Laguna yesterday.

Shin held his ground and came through with clutch pars and a birdie on the ninth for a 35 as he virtually took the fight out of Saldana and Gandionco, who moved within two and three shots in the third round but reeled back with 40 and 38, respectively, after nine holes.

Not even a shaky windup could stop Shin from wrapping up the crown as Saldana and Gandionco failed to recover and limped home with 75 and 74, respectively, enabling the Royal Northwoods bet to cruise to the win despite a 38 and a 73 for a 72-hole total of 295.

Austria, four shots off Shin at the start of the final round, ran out of holes in a backside rally, finishing with a 71 and snatching solo second at 297 while John Kier Abdon also fired a 71 and forced a three-way tie for third with Gandionco and Saldana at 299.

Ardina, on the other hand, booked another win in the run-up to her title defense in the Queen Sirikit Cup next month, shooting a 74 for a 219 and beating Baraquiel by five in the 54-hole girls’ side of the annual event sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL and presented by Globe Telecom.

Ardina, who posted a big six-shot lead after 36 holes, had three bogeys against a birde in a 38-36 round as the top ICTSI-backed bet rolled to victory unopposed for her second straight win after ruling the Kuala Lumpur Junior Open three weeks ago.

Baraquiel made a 73 and finished with a 224 while Marvi Monsalve took third place with a 226 after a 74. Jayvie Agojo carded a 75 for fourth at 228 while Sarah Ababa and Princess Superal tied for fifth at 232 after similar 76s.

Shin’s victory thus kept the Koreans’ domination of the event, the second leg of the 11-stage NGAP-Globe Amateur Golf Circuit backed by Pancake House and Golf Depot as other sponsors and AirPhil Express as official airline, after Wang Jeung Hun of Riviera beat now pro Clyde Mondilla by four last year.

Shin came into the final round all focused and applied the pressure on Saldana and Gandionco early by sinking delicate par putts that the two Filipino challengers had failed to match.

He then birdied the par-5 ninth then watched his rivals flub their own bid as Shin stormed to a five-shot lead over Gandionco, who went two-over, and six ahead of Saldana, who had a woeful 40.

Jan Philippe De Claro matched par 72 and placed sixth at 301 followed by Lawrence Celestino (73-302), Keanu Jahns (77-302), Jung Han Mil (75-304) and Joey Huerva (75-304).