IOA Golf Classic: Ardina rallies with 67, ties for 12th; Pagdanganan settles for joint 20th

Dottie Ardina (left) and Bianca Pagdanganan during the Paris Olympics

Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Dottie Ardina produced a determined closing surge but still fell short of a Top 10 finish, settling for joint 12th place after a second straight 67 in the final round of the IOA Golf Classic ruled by Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6 on Sunday (Monday Manila time) at the Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, Florida.

Ardina, who had slipped from joint fifth to a share of 21st with a third-round 74 after a promising four-under opening round, bounced back with a spirited performance that highlighted her resilience on the Epson Tour’s second stop of the season.

Starting her final round with a sense of urgency, the Filipina quickly regained ground on the leaderboard. She birdied three of her first eight holes, taking advantage of early scoring opportunities to spark a rally that erased much of the ground she had lost the previous day.

Her momentum was briefly halted by a bogey on the par-4 ninth, but Ardina, whose campaign is sponsored by ICTSI, quickly regrouped on the back nine. Staying composed and patient, she picked up two more birdies coming home to complete a steady 33-34 card that lifted her nine places in the standings.

Ardina finished the 54-hole tournament with a five-under 208, eight strokes behind Lee6’s winning total of 200. Despite missing a Top 10 berth, her strong closing round provided a timely confidence boost as the Epson Tour heads to its third and final Florida swing, the Orlando Health Championship set March 20-22 at Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland.

Lee6 delivered under pressure to capture the title, draining a birdie on the par-3 18th for an eagle-spiked 65 that secured a one-shot victory. Her late heroics proved just enough to hold off fellow Korean Jiwon Jeon, who mounted a fierce final-round charge with a spectacular bogey-free 63, also highlighted by an eagle, but ultimately finished at 201.

Mariel Galdiano of the US also made a late push, firing a 66 to claim solo third place at 202 in the tightly contested $200,000 tournament, the second leg of the LPGA’s developmental Epson Tour.

Bianca Pagdanganan, meanwhile, endured an up-and-down finish that mirrored much of her week. After opening with a shaky 73, Pagdanganan, also backed by the world’s leading port operator, reignited hopes of a strong comeback with a brilliant 66 in the second round that vaulted her back into contention.

However, she was unable to sustain that momentum in the final round. The long-hitting Filipina battled through a roller-coaster day marked by flashes of brilliance but also costly mistakes. She traded four birdies with four bogeys, preventing her from putting together a sustained run up the leaderboard.

Pagdanganan closed with an even-par 71 and finished tied for 20th with a 210.

Tomi Arejola posted a second consecutive 72 to wind up tied for 41st at 215, while Clariss Guce struggled in the final round with a 75, dropping to a share of 58th at 218.

The Florida swing concludes this week in Lakeland, where Ardina and the rest of the Filipino contingent will look to build on their performances and chase stronger finishes before the tour moves to its next stop.