Ardina wrests 1-shot lead with 67

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina bounced back from an opening bogey with a cluster of birdies as she stormed upfront with a five-under 67 for a one-stroke lead over Thais Junthima Gulyanamitta and Nontaya Srisawang midway through Thailand Singha-Sat LPGA Championship in Thailand late Wednesday.

Ardina’s birdie-binge included three straight from No. 5 as the ace Filipina shotmaker sustained her charge with two more birdies at the back to complete a 33-34 round at the Rancho Charnvee Resort and Country Club.

With erstwhile leader Gi Ppumlee of Korea fumbling with a 73, the ICTSI-backed Ardina took charge with an eight-under 136 heading to the last 36 holes of the third staging of the event which features some of the leading players in the region.

SEA Games gold medalist Princess Superal, the spearhead of the ICTSI amateur team who started the round tied with Ardina, failed to sustain a two-birdie start after four holes. She hobbled with four bogeys in an eight-hole stretch from No. 6, needing to birdie the 18th to salvage a 73. She fell to joint eighth at 142 with teammate Pauline del Rosario and local bet Tiranan Yoopan, who both carded 70s.

Gulyanamitta recovered from a so-so start with four birdies from Nos. 10 to 16 and finished with a bogey-free 68 for second, just one stroke adrift of Ardina at 137, while Srisawang also turned in a flawless 69 to move up to third at 139.

But while Ardina, priming up for the Symetra Tour and some legs on the LPGA circuit, the other ICTSI-backed bets floundered with Cyna Rodriguez also struggling with a 73 for a 143 and Chihiro Ikeda hardly improving with a 76 after a 77 for a 153.

Ardina bucked a bogey start with a birdie on No. 3 then surged ahead early with birdies on Nos. 5, 6 and 7 as Ppeumlee tumbled with a double bogey on No. 3 and a bogey on the next. Ardina birdied Nos. 11 and 14 to hold off the equally charging Gulyanamitta and Srisawang, who both gunned down three birdies at the back to keep Ardina within sight.