AFTER an opening four-under 67, Dottie Ardina slowed down with a 70 and slipped to joint 13th going to the final round of the Shoprite LPGA Classic Saturday at the Seaview Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey.
The Filipina ace produced a birdie and two bogeys in the first 11 holes but gained shots in the 12th and 13th and went bogey-free the rest of the way to ensure an under-par card.
From three down in Round 1, Ms. Ardina now faces a six-shot deficit in the last 18 holes of the $1.75-million event with her 36-hole tally of 137.
Swedish leader Dani Holmqvist, with her second-round 67, stayed on top with 131 with Korean Hyo Joo Kim (132 after a 65) breathing down her neck.
South African Ashleigh Buhai (65) sat at solo third at 134 followed by a big group sharing fourth — American Brianna Do (64), Thai Atthaya Thitikul (67), German Chiara Noja (67), Finnish Matilda Castren (67), Chinese Yan Liu (70) and Korean Jenny Shin (70) at 135.
Japanese Ayaka Furue (68), Korean Soo Bon Joo (70) and Swedish Anna Nordqvist (70) occupied 10th to 12th at 136, one-up on Ardina, Korean Jeongeun Lee6 (68) and English Georgia Hall (71).
Bianca Pagdanganan matched Ms. Ardina’s 70 to jack up her standing to joint 43rd after starting the day at No. 53.
Ms. Pagdanganan had two bogeys against a birdie in her first nine holes but closed her round with a three-birdie, one-bogey card to improve on her first-round 71. — Olmin Leyba