Dottie Ardina shoots 5 under par, wins the Copper Rock Championship

Dottie Ardina wins the Copper Rock Championship and is presented with a check for $30,000, Hurricane, Utah, April 23, 2022 | Photo by Mark Musgrave, St. George News

HURRICANE — It could very well go down as one of the greatest final round performances in Epson Tour history.

Dottie Ardina with her golf clubs and first-place trophy after winning the Copper Rock Championship, Hurricane, Utah, April 23, 2022 | Photo by Jim Bochenek/Epson Tour Media, St. George News

Dottie Ardina of the Phillipines was five strokes back of the lead held by Emma Broze as the final round began Saturday. She fired a bogey-free, 7-under 65 at the Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane to win the LPGA’s Copper Rock Championship by two strokes at 5-under par.

“I wanted to have fun out there and my goal was 5-under to have a chance. But 7-under is even better,” said Ardina, who hit all 14 fairways. “There was never that moment because [my playing partner] Anita [Uwadia] was making a lot of birdies too, so I kind of lost track on the back nine. We were both making birdies to stay close with each other. And I did not want to check the leaderboards.”

Ardina turned professional in April 2013. Over the years on the Epson Tour, especially in 2018, she has endured numerous close calls. That season alone, Ardina finished runner-up at the Symetra Classic, Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic and the PHC Classic.

She also ended in a tie for second on two other occasions at the Donald Ross Classic and the IOA Golf Classic.

For those reasons, this win means that much more to Ardina. The two fist pumps following her 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to seal victory captured all her emotion.

“I kept saying to myself, ‘Calm down, calm down, put a good stroke on it and you’ll make the putt.’ I did not look at a leaderboard until No. 18,” said Ardina. “I kept my focus on the line for the putt and as soon as it hit the spot I wanted it, that’s when I did the fist pumps because I knew it was going in.

“I’ve played good golf the last few years and knew I was due. I wasn’t expecting it this week because of the weather, but took advantage of how nice it was today.”

Marta Sanz Barrio (67) and Laetitia Beck (68) each finished at 3-under par to share second place, while Jaravee Boonchant (68), Anita Uwadia (68) and Amelia Garvey (71) ended 2-under to tie for fourth. Five players tied for seventh including 36-hole leader Broze, who shot a 3-over 75 in the final round.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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