Ardina 2 adrift with 67

Dottie Ardina came back strong from a missed cut the last time out, firing a three-under 67 to trail joint leaders Linnea Strom of Sweden and Leona Maguire of Ireland by two at the start of the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge at the Willow Run Golf Course in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Thursday.

Ardina, the current Volvik Race for the LPGA Card leader with four runner-up finishes in the season but who missed the cut at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Michigan two weeks ago, broke a roller-coaster frontside stint with three birdies in the last five holes at the back to tie Michelle Piyapattra, Emily Pennttila and Julia Engstrom at third in the early going of the $210,000, four-day championship of the Symetra Tour.

The Filipina ace shotmaker, zeroing in on a full card in next year’s LPGA season, missed three fairways and five greens but made up for her miscues with superb recoveries, including one sand save. She also leaned on her impressive stint on the greens where she made just 28 putts to stay in the mix.

“I’m really excited for the closing stretch of the season,” said Ardina. “We have six good size purses left, which will help me reach my goal of six figures.

But Strom and Maguire turned in more impressive cards, a pair of bogey-free 65s, to seize control of the 144-player field at the par70 layout.

But while Ardina got back into the groove, compatriot Mia Piccio fumbled with a two-over 72 to find herself just above the projected cut-off score while Fil-Am Clariss Guce, a two-time winner at Symetra, skied to a 78.