Piccio, Ardina waver with 74s

MANILA, Philippines - Mia Piccio wavered coming home at the front and ended up with a 74 to fall to 48th while Dottie Ardina also hobbled with a two-over card and slipped to joint 80th in the second round of the LPGA Final Qualifying Stage at the LPGA International, Daytona Beach, Florida Thursday.

Piccio, who opened with a one-under 71 for joint 24th, and Ardina, who had a 73 both at the Jones course, both struggled at the tougher Hills layout with the former blowing a one-under card at the back with a double-bogey on No. 6 and a bogey on the ninth. With a 145 aggregate, Piccio dropped to 48th with 16 others.

Ardina, on the other hand, had one-birdie, two-bogey stints on both nines and the Symetra Tour veteran fell eight rungs lower at 80th with 14 others with a 147 with three rounds left in the five-day elims where the top 20 players will earn full-time status in the LPGA next year.

But only the top 70 players after 72 holes will advance to the fifth and final round with Piccio and Ardina needing to rebound with low scores in the next two days to stay in the hunt.

First round leader Casey Grice slowed down with a 69 after a 69 for a 135, enabling Korean Ju Young Park to gain a share of the lead after a 68 with three players – Sam Richdale of British Columbia, Sophia Popov of Germany and American Elizabeth Nagel – two shots behind at 137 after a 66, 67 and 69, respectively.

Ardina and Piccio hope to gain ground as they play the Jones course again with the former teeing off on No. 10 and the latter set to start on No. 1.

Those who will finish 21st to 45th after the final round will have conditional status for next year’s LPGA season.