Ardina may get Olympic berth in case of pullout

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina hopes to get to play in the Rio Olympics via backdoor, as one of the big number of reserve players wishing to clinch a berth in the Games set Aug. 11-14 at the Reserva de Marapendi in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ardina, campaigning on the Symetra Tour the last three years, is out of the top 60 players assured of spots in the Rio Games but the ace Filipina shotmaker could get into the event as the first alternate player in case any of at least 10 golfers decide to withdraw from the competition.

In fact, the Rio organizers have directed the Philippine Olympic Committee to have Ardina fill up the accreditation form as an alternate in case of a pullout.

“The POC had received an instruction from the Rio organizers, directing Ardina to fill up the accreditation form as a reserve player just in case one might withdraw,” according to the National Golf Association of the Philippines, the country’s governing golf body.

Ardina, who had four top 10 finishes on the Symetra Tour last year,  is the first alternate player to Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, Julieta Granada of Paraguay, Israel’s Laetitia Beck, Czech Kiara Spikova, Russian Maria Verchenova, Austrian Christine Wolf, Ireland’s  Leona Maguire, Swiss Fabienne In-Albon and Chloe Leurquin of Belgium.

The former five-time US Kids World champion, who tied for seventh in Gosling’s Dark ‘n Stormy Classic  in Georgia last March, is also the first reserve player for the Nos. 56-60 players in the ranking, including India’s Aditi Ashok, Stephanie Meadow of Ireland, Brazil’s Miriam Nagi and Victoria Lovelady and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland.

If they stay the course till July 11, Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que are headed for the Olympics as the Philippines’ representatives in the men’s competition. Tabuena is safely at No. 37 while Que is at No. 52.

Only 60 golfers will vie in both divisions to contest the first Olympic gold medals since Canadian George Lyon won the gold for Canada in the 1904 Summer Games in Missouri, USA.

With host Brazil assured of one entry and the US four, the other 55 slots were allotted by selecting a maximum of two players per country based on the Olympic Golf Rankings. There is also a requirement that all five continents must be represented.