Del Rosario seeks redemption; Ardina targets 2nd Copper Rock crown

MANILA, Philippines — Pauline del Rosario looks to bounce back and make a strong impression as she tees off early in this week’s Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane, Utah — one of the highlight stops of the Epson Tour.

Del Rosario, who suffered a disqualification in last week’s Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic, is eager for redemption. She opens her campaign Thursday (Friday Manila time) with a 7:30 a.m. start off the 10th tee alongside American Sarah Edwards and England’s Amelia Williamson.

With favorable weather conditions expected, the ICTSI-backed Filipina hopes for a strong opening round to gain confidence and momentum.

Veteran Dottie Ardina, meanwhile, returns to a venue that brought her first Epson Tour title in 2022. The Olympian, however, has struggled since, missing the cut last year and settling for a tied 29th finish in 2023.

She also narrowly missed qualification for the upcoming US Women’s Open after placing as an alternate during the Arizona qualifiers, alongside American Ryann O’Toole.

This week, Ardina, whose campaign is also supported by one of the world's leading port operators, faces a challenging pairing with Dana Fall of the US and Germany’s Isi Gabsa in a late tee time off the 10th hole.

Another Filipina on a mission is Sam Bruce, who aims to recover from a tough finish in Arizona. Bruce impressed early with consecutive 68s, briefly contending before faltering with rounds of 76 and 74 to settle for a tie at 37th.

She tees off at 8:58 a.m., also from the back nine, with Ellie Slama and Therese Warner of the US.

Bruce, who triumphed in the opening leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour at Pradera Verde last February, is hoping to regain that winning form and post a better finish this week.

Meanwhile, Tomi Arejola opens her campaign at 12:42 p.m., grouped with Canada’s Leah John and Yeji Kwon, while two-time Epson Tour winner Clariss Guce — fresh off a tied 25th finish last week — will tee off shortly after at 12:53 p.m. from the first hole. She is joined by American Sarah White and China’s Michelle Zhang.

With a mix of redemption stories, momentum-building efforts, and the pursuit of a breakthrough, the Filipino contingent is set for an action-packed and potentially pivotal week in Utah.