Piccio fires 71; Ardina limps with 73

MANILA, Philippines - Mia Piccio fired a one-under 71 and trailed a hot-starting Casey Grice by five but compatriot Dottie Ardina fumbled with a one-over 73 and fell below the cutoff score at the start of the LPGA Final Qualifying Stage at the LPGA International, Daytona Beach, Florida Wednesday.

Piccio gunned down three birdies to negate a two-bogey mishap at the Jones Course as she joined 21 others in 24th place in the first round of the grueling five-round elims that will select the top 20 players for full-time status in next year’s LPGA season.

But while Piccio stayed within target, Ardina struggled with four bogeys against three birdies and stood in joint 72nd with 15 others among 154 aspirants chasing the coveted slots in the lucrative circuit.

Ardina, who failed to make it to the Tour proper this year and campaigned on the Symetra Tour, failed to get going early with three bogeys against a birdie after nine holes. But the recent winner of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour leg at Valley recovered a bit with two birdies against a bogey at the back to salvage a 73.

Piccio, who didn’t make it to the Symetra Tour this year, hit two birdies against a bogey at the front then rammed in a birdie on No. 15 to negate her second bogey on the 11th for that 71.

The top 70 players after 72 holes will advance to the fifth and final round with the top 20 players gaining full-time status on next year’s LPGA and the next 25 earning conditional status.

Grice, from Texas, shot a flawless six-under 66 to seize a one-stroke lead over fellow American Ryann O’Toole, Korean Ju Young Park and Spain’s Maria Hernandez, who had turned in 67s, while Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, fired a 68 for joint fifth with Elizabeth Nagel.