Hot finish puts del Rosario in the mix; Ardina also rallies

MANILA, Philippines – Pauline del Rosario fought back with a frontside flourish to cap off a one-under 71, trailing American Julie Houston by four strokes at the start of the Casino del Sol Golf Classic in Tucson, Arizona Thursday (Friday Manila time).

Despite grappling with the intricate nuances of the Sewailo Golf Club’s greens, del Rosario battled through a challenging 30-putt round. However, her grit shone through in the closing stretch, birdying Nos. 8 and 9 to salvage a 35-36 and earning a share of 33rd.

As Houston blazed through with a fiery 67 marked by six birdies against a bogey, del Rosario’s performance underscored her tenacity. Her long game prowess was evident, averaging an impressive 290 yards off the tee, hitting 11 fairways and landing 14 greens.

But it was her faltering putting stroke that hindered a lower score.

In addition to her clutch birdies, the ICTSI-backed del Rosario showed her mettle by rescuing pars from two bunker visits. 

Despite setbacks with dropped shots on Nos. 18 and 6 after a promising birdie on the 12th, del Rosario, who made the cut in the first four legs, highlighted by a tied for 10th finish in the IOA Classic last March, remained in contention in the 54-hole, $250,000 championship serving as the fifth leg of the Epson Tour.

Dottie Ardina, who posted a joint sixth place effort in the IOA Championship in California last week, faced a similar uphill battle, carding a 73 after a shaky start. But like del Rosario, the seasoned campaigner rallied at the front, birdying Nos. 6 and 9 to salvage a 35-38 round.

Ardina, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading world operator, made three bogeys in her first 12 holes from the back but checked her skid in time with those late birdies as she joined a slew of others at 60th place, the projected cutoff line.

Abby Arevalo, on the other hand, wavered with a 75 and two-time Epson Tour leg winner Clariss Guce struggled to find her rhythm, limping with a 78.

Meanwhile, five players, including former Japanese top amateur Saki Baba, matched 68s to make it a crowded leaderboard, with 14 others, led by Taiwanese Ssu-Chia Cheng and Australian Fiona Xu, finishing with identical 69s.