STRIKING DISTANCE: Ardina chases maiden LPGA victory

Filipino Olympian Dottie Ardina is staring at a first-ever win in the LPGA Tour. But to achieve this, it may take the remarkable efforts she made going that far. If not more.

With just 18 holes left, Ardina is looking at a stroke deficit to South African leader Ashleigh Buhai in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.

“I had a great start, a good hole out on No. 5. It was perfect wedge (second shot) about 110 yards,” said Ardina of the 376-yard par-4 hole which she birdied.

That propelled her on the second-round on Saturday as she finished with a four-under-par 67 for a 132 total so far.

Now she has the chance of scoring a breakthrough triumph in the Tour and giving the Philippines its first taste of it since Yuka Saso captured the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open before she renounced her citizenship in favor of Japan the following year.

Before that, Jennifer Rosales edged Americans Michelle Wie and Christie Kerr by two strokes for the 2005 SBS Open.

“The crowd at the back of the green was screaming ‘oh it’s beautiful,’ it was great,” Ardina said recalling the fifth hole eagle that buffered her bogeys on 11 and 12.

She also birdied 1, 4, 6 and 14 en route in the round that saw her hitting all 13 fairways, and making 28 putts. The 30-year-old Ardina was averaging 237 yards on her drives, putting premium on accuracy than distance.

“I just try to play it to the wind till the end,” added Ardina whose gallant final two rounds in the Paris Olympics allowed her to finish tied for 13th.

Buhai shook off a “silly” double bogey and surged home with four birdies in the last five holes on Saturday to take a one-shot lead.

“I felt I played just as well as yesterday. Obviously, the winds were a little trickier than yesterday morning for us, so kind of faded out for everybody,” said Buhai, who posted a four-under par 67 for an 11-under par 36-hole total of 131.

One back to start the day, South Africa’s Buhai birdied the first hole. But a double bogey at the eighth left her needing to gain ground.

She birdied nine and 11, and after a bogey at 13 she birdied 14, 15, 17 and 18.

“I did start to get a little frustrated, but I was hitting a lot of good shots,” Buhai said.

“Made a silly double bogey, but at least I kept calm and just reminded myself to keep doing what I was doing, and finally got rewarded down the last few holes.”

Buhai, whose two LPGA victories include a major title at the 2022 Women’s British Open, is battling to claim a spot in the 60-player Tour Championship field after a season disrupted by injury.

She battled back injuries and a broken toe — playing the Paris Olympics with a piece of one shoe cut away because of her toe trouble.

The 35-year-old led after the first round of the Queen City Championship this month on the way to a tie for 14th and said she’d try not to think about holding the lead going into the final round of the 54-hole event.

“If I go out tomorrow and try to do my job well that’s all I can do,” she said. “Hopefully the rest will take care of itself.”

Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol had six birdies in a six-under par 65 to join a group of four sharing third place on nine-under 133.

She was joined by Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who had seven birdies to offset a double bogey in her five-under 66.

Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez both carded four-under par 67s to join the group on nine-under.