3rd straight 70 keeps Pagdanganan 8 shots off Kim

MANILA, Philippines -- Bianca Pagdanganan stayed on track for another Top 3 finish on the LPGA Tour.She carded a third straight 70 and moved to joint eighth in the third round of the Ascendant LPGA Benefitting Volunteers of America now firmly controlled by Korean Hyo Joo Kim at The Colony, Texas Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

But Pagdanganan needed to endure a roller-coaster round at the exacting Old American Golf Club to break into the Top 10 as she missed four fairways and six greens and finished with 30 putts. She recovered from a one-over frontside card with three birdies in the first four holes at the back but made two bogeys against a birdie in the next three for a 36-34 and a 210.

But while she continued to gain in the standings – from tied 24th to a share of 15th and joint eighth, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker, who tied for third in last week's NW Arkansas Championship, remained eight strokes behind Kim, who poised herself for a sixth LPGA victory with a 70 and a 202.

After a 64 and 68, Kim needed just a one-under card to turn a shaky two-stroke halfway lead to a commanding six-shot bulge as erstwhile pursuer Sofia Garcia of Paraguay skied to a 76 and dropped to Pagdanganan’s group that includes Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul, who matched par 71, major winner Celine Boutier (Evian Championship) of France, who stumbled with a 74, and Maria Torres of Puerto Rico, who shot a 73.

Kim actually hobbled in the early going, yielding strokes on Nos. 4 and 6 before hitting her first birdie on the eighth. She drew level par with another birdie on No. 13 but bogeyed the next before regaining her form with birdies in the next two to pull away from the pack.

Dottie Ardina also continued to improve as she fired a 69 and moved to joint 13th at 211, nine strokes off the pace heading to the final 18 holes of the $1.8 million championship.

Ardina, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, snapped a two-birdie, two-bogey card late, birdying Nos. 15 and 17 to pound out a 35-34 round.

Over in Florida, South African Kaleigh Telfer sizzled with a 64 as she caught up with Chinese Michelle Zhang at the helm after 54 holes of the Epson Tour Championship at