Filipina Dottie Ardina fashioned out a one-under-par 71 in the third and last round of the Four Winds Invitational to finish tied for eighth Saturday at South Bend Country Club in Indiana.
It was the 29-year-old’s second-best finish of the season right after sharing runner-up honors during May’s IOA Golf Classic.
She pocketed $4,892 for posting a six-under-par 210 total which on the last day saw her shooting birdies on the 11th and 15th and bogeying 12th.
Clariss Guce and Pauline del Rosario were bunched at 44th place for $943 purse. Guce hit a 72 and Del Rosario 74 for two-over-par total of 217.
Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels found the bottom of the cup for par on the 18th to cap a final round 3-under par 69 and take the lead of 12-under overall, a three-shot victory over Katherine Smith and Becca Huffer.
“It was kind of a weird round today,” explained Ruffels. “I started off two ahead, and then we got called off due to weather on the first green. I had like a four-foot birdie putt that I had to sit and think about. Then I made my first bogey of the week at number two, so I got a little unsettled there. Other than that, I played pretty steady golf coming in, so I was pretty happy.”
Ruffels plans to compete in most of the final events on the Epson Tour calendar and fully prepare for what looks like her rookie season on the LPGA in 2024. For now, three wins in 12 starts even had the Epson Tour sophomore a bit speechless and looking forward to remaining tournaments in 2023.
“I am not sure what my plan is yet; I haven’t even thought that far ahead,” said the Epson Tour sophomore with a smile. “I am going to take a week off next week and go back home to California. Then I have a start at the Canadian (CPKC Women’s Open) on the LPGA Tour, so that’s what’s next right now.”
Katherine Smith was the challenger all day for Ruffels. Smith made four birdies in the first 10 holes to put Ruffels on notice.
A bogey on No. 14 dropped Smith off the pace but had a birdie putt on No. 18 to get within a shot that just slid by the low side of the hole. She would have to settle for par and a final round 69 (-3), her best placing of the season.
Rounding out the top of the leaderboard were Laura Wearn and Agathe Laisne, who both finished -8 for the tournament.
