Having been denied places in the KIA Classic, Filipino golfers Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan opted to continue their quest in the Symetra Tour.
The two golfers are on track to regain their berths in the LPGA Tour as figured in the top 10 after the first round of the IOA Championship, Saturday morning (Manila time) at the Morongo Golf Club in Beaumont, California.
Ardina is in a three-way tie at second place after a 4-under 68, just a stroke below current leader Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Canada.
The 27-year-old veteran picked up three twin birdies throughout the 18-hole go-round along with another birdie in no. 7, but three bogeys brought her score down to 4-under.
On the other hand, last year’s LPGA driving leader Bianca Pagdanganan finds herself at ninth place after the first 18 holes.
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion birdied the 16th hole to cap her round at 2-under 70 after struggling in the front nine at even 36.
Unfortunately, the other Filipino in the tournament, Clariss Guce missed the cut after a final score of 4-over 76, two strokes from making the next round. A double bogey in the par-4 No. 13 saw the 30-year-old taking the exit.
With two more rounds, Ardina and Pagdanganan look to stay in the hunt for the title as the tournament continues Saturday evening here in the Philippines.
