Ardina, Ikeda tow Pinays back in contention for Espiritu Santo crown

When the chips are down, lean on Dottie Ardina and Chihiro Ikeda, who will save the day.

Ardina turned on the heat with a sizzling bogey-free seven-under-par 65, and Ikeda contributed a two-under 70 to power the Philippines to solo fourth with a nine-under 279 total after the second round of the Women’s World Amateur Golf Team Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Korea fired a record-setting 16-under-par 128 at the Buenos Aires Golf Club for a 15-under 273, one stroke ahead of first round leader USA, which had a 274 after a 138 while Germany pooled in a 135 for third at 277. The Koreans shattered the single-round record of 134 set by the US in the second round in 1998 as Jee-Hi Kim shot a nine-under 63, also a new mark, and Jung-Eun Han added a 65. Before the round, the RP bets, whose best finish in the Espirito Santo Trophy was ninth in 1968, were at ninth spot and eight strokes behind. With the big turnaround, it was RP’s best score so far in the biennial event which features the world’s best lady amateurs. National coach Bong Lopez is hoping that his talented squad will be able to sustain its charge in the last 36 holes as they go for a record feat. Ardina, the 16-year-old and many-time Junior World champion, came through with seven birdies overall, highlighted by a long 20-footer on the fourth hole and capped by a near-eagle on the 18th. Her 65 also catapulted her to joint fifth for the individual title with a 138. She hit 15 greens in regulation and used her putter 27 times, knocking down birdies on Nos. 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16 and 18, all inside 10 feet. Filipina-Japanese Ikeda, who was off-form in the opener but polished her game late Thursday at the driving range and practice greens, made three straight birdies. She dropped a shot on the fifth but rebounded with a birdie on the 11th. Another bogey on the 17th gave her a 34-36 card. Mia Piccio, who led Team RP’s impressive first-round performance with a gutsy one-under 71, groped for her putting form and didn’t count with a 73 for the squad. – Adrian Flores/JVP/KY, GMANews.TV