Dottie Ardina, Cyna Rodriguez, Mia Piccio and Princess Superal hone up for their respective campaigns abroad as they banner the locals’ bid against a crack international field in the ICTSI Champion Tour at Splendido unfolding tomorrow (Wednesday, March 8) at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay.
Ardina, set to play in a number of LPGA events starting late this month, and Symetra Tour-bound Rodriguez, Piccio and Superal go up against a stellar cast led by the mainstays of the Taiwan LPGA Tour and a slew of Thai aces in the $75,000 event kicking off this year’s ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
The 54-hole championship, presented by Champion, also serves as the third leg of the Taiwan LPGA Tour and the first two TLPGA tournaments.
Superal finished joint third in last year’s inaugural staging of the event won by Lee Jeong-hwa, who nipped Fumika Kawagishi by one in a thrilling finish. Though the Korean and Japanese won’t be around this time, the depth of the field remains as talent-laden as ever with Chen Yu-Ju, currently No. 4 in the TLPGA Order of Merit ranking, leading the foreign challenge.
Also in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. are Thais Saruttaya Ngam-usawan, winner of last year’s LPGT Royal Northwoods, and former LPGT champions Wannasiri Sirisampant and Amolkan Phalajivin.
Others tipped to contend in the event, backed by ICTSI, BDO, Champion, Custom Clubmakers, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Titleist and Event Captain, are last year’s Orchard leg winner Chihiro Ikeda and former leg champios Fil-Am Cristina Corpus, Jayvie Agojo and Sarah Ababa.
