By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Dottie Ardina carded a 2-under-par 69 and finished tied for 27th in the Shoprite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey on Sunday, June 9.
The 30-year-old Filipino golfer came through with three birdies against a lone bogey on the par-3 15th hole for a three-day total of 6-under 207, eight strokes behind eventual champion Linnea Strom.
She opened the 54-hole tournament with a 68 and was trailing second-round leader Jenny Shin by six strokes after firing a 70 heading into the last round.
Her three-day effort was worth $12,687 (roughly P720.000).
Strom, meanwhile, overcame an astounding seven-stroke deficit by shooting a tournament-record 60 to capture the crown.
After earlier rounds of 69 and 70, Strom blasted nine birdies and an eagle — chipping in from 15 feet on the par-5 ninth — to get to 14-under 199. The 27-year-old Swede birdied the last three holes and four of the last five.
She had the lowest final-round score by a winner in LPGA Tour history and matched the second-lowest score overall. Annika Sorenstam set the record with a 59 in the second round of the 2001 Standard Register PING. The previous best final round for a winner was a 61 by Inbee Park in the 2014 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.
Meanwhile, Ardina hopes her latest performance would keep her within the Top 60 heading into the final stretch of the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifications.
Updated every Monday, Ardina’s maiden Olympic campaign remains alive as she is currently ranked No. 55.
Bianca Pagdanganan, who missed the cut in the tournament, is at 35th.
The list will be finalized by June 24.
