DOTTIE Ardina, Cyna Rodriguez, Mia Piccio and Princess Superal gearing up for their campaigns in golf tours in the US, banner the locals’ bid against an international field in the ICTSI Champion Tour starting on Wednesday at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay.
Ardina has conditional status on the LPGA Tour, while Rodriguez, Piccio and Superal are seeing action on the Symetra Tour.
Players from the Taiwan LPGA Tour and several Thai players are also playing in the 54-hole $75,000 event kicking off this year’s ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
The tournament also serves as the third leg of the Taiwan LPGA Tour.
Superal finished joint third in last year’s inaugural staging of the event won by Lee Jeong-hwa, who is not seeing action this year.
Among the players to watch are Chen Yu-Ju, No. 4 on the TLPGA Order of Merit, as well as Thailand’s Saruttaya Ngam-usawan, winner of last year’s LPGT Royal Northwoods.
Former LPGT winners Wannasiri Sirisampant and Amolkan Phalajivin are also seeing action along with Ai Asano of Japan, Michelle Koh of Malaysia, Mookharin Ladgratok of Thailand, Taiwanese Lee Chia-pei and Jessica Lydia of Indonesia.
Among the top locals in the field are leg winners Chihiro Ikeda, Fil-Am Cristina Corpus, Jayvie Agojo and Sarah Ababa.
The same field is expected to compete in the next LPGT leg, also offering $75,000, at Mt. Malarayat from March 15 to 17.
After Mt. Malarayat, the LPGT resumes with the ICTSI Luisita Ladies Challenge on April 18 to 20 to be followed by the Orchard Ladies Invitational from May 30 to June 1.
Set June 28 to 30 is the Baguio Ladies Classic before the tour heads back to Mt. Malarayat July 25 to 27.
Southwoods will host the seventh leg from Aug. 15 to 17, Sherwood Hills on Sept. 12-14 and Wack Wack the penultimate leg on Oct. 24-26. The circuit is presented by Champion, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., backed by ICTSI, BDO, Champion, Custom Clubmakers, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Titleist and Event Captain.
The Philippine Ladies Masters will again wind up the circuit on a date still to be finalized late this year.