MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina and Mia Piccio signed up for the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s Duel 2 – North vs South, which unwraps today, hoping to make an impact and help steer their respective squads to victory in the Ryder Cup-style event at the South Links Golf Club in Las Piñas.
Ardina backstops the talent-laden Team North while Piccio anchors the South squad, which stunned the former in the deciding singles matches to snatch the crown in the inaugural staging of the three-day event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. last year.
But with Ardina in the fold, the Northerners are confident of evening things up with their Southern rivals although the defending champions hope to spring another surprise and frustrate their counterparts for the second straight year.
Team North dominated the fourballs and foursomes formats but yielded five singles matches, enabling Team South to clinch the title via a come-from-behind 9-7 victory at Cangolf’s South course.
Ardina and Piccio fell short of their LPGA bids two weeks ago but are fancied to inspire their respective teams in the event, put up by the sponsoring International Container Terminal Services, Inc. to further boost ladies pro golf and at the same time give the country’s lady pros some kind of a get-together following another successful LPGT season.
Jayvie Agojo, winner of the Riviera leg of this year’s ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, and Lina de Guzman open Team North’s bid in the fourball against South’s Lovelynn Guioguio and Eva Minoza at 7:30 a.m. before Ardina partners with Marjorie Pulumbarit as they take on the South pair of Anya Tanpinco and Tracy Que at 7:40 a.m.
Former Philippine Ladies Open champion Heidi Chua and Lucy Landicho, meanwhile, face South’s solid tandem of Chihiro Ikeda and Sarah Ababa at 7:50 a.m. before Cyna Rodriguez, winner of five legs of this year’s LPGT circuit, and Mary Grace Estuesta, also a former Phl Ladies Open winner, battle Piccio and Apple Fudolin at 8 a.m.
Also on tap in the event, backed by Nike, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp, is the foursomes in the first two days with the singles – eight matches – slated Thursday. The first team to win 8.5 points clinches the crown.