Dottie Ardina celebrated her strongest opening round this season — a six-under-par 66 — that vaulted her to a tie for third place in the Epson Tour Championship at the LPGA International’s Jones course in Daytona Beach, Florida Thursday.
The 28-year-old Filipina, looking to earn an LPGA Tour card next season by finishing in the Top 10 in the money list, collected eight birdies against two bogeys.
She made five birdies in the front nine and added three more going home to trail co-leaders Maddi Caldwell-Young and Hyo Joon Jang by a single stroke.
Ardina made up for what she lacked in length with superb iron play, missing only three greens. She used her putter only 27 times.
Abby Arevalo and Pauline del Rosario each carded a 71.
Arevalo mixed four birdies with three birdies while Del Rosario made three birdies against two bogeys.
Clariss Guce, the other Filipina in the field, had two birdies against four bogeys for a 74.