Eagle-spiked 67 secures Pagdanganan CME Globe slot, LPGA card

MANILA, Philippines – Bianca Pagdanganan’s brilliant season-ending burst didn’t only enable her to regain her full LPGA Tour status, but also net her a dream spot in the elite CME Globe Tour Championship.

Pagdanganan closed out with a second straight 67, also behind a late, late surge she laced with a birdie-eagle roll from No. 13. She then proved clutch by recovering from a mishap on No. 16 with a birdie on the last hole to seal her place in the star-studded, 60-player roster of the CME Globe Tour Championship unfolding Thursday (Friday Manila time) at the Tiburon Golf Club’s Gold course in Naples, Florida.

Counting her two other three-under cards and a 69 at the Pelican Golf Club, the ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan erased all doubts as to her chances for a berth in this week’s $7 million season-ending event and re-claiming her (LPGA) card after losing full playing status for the 2023 season.

She wound up with 10-under 270 total and posted a strong tied for 19th finish in the Annika Driven by Gainbridge in Belleair, also in Florida Sunday that also had American Lilia Vu rallying to win the championship and recording her fourth victory in the season for a clear shot at the Player of the Year honors.

The final round likewise saw erstwhile leader Emily Pedersen lose her grip of the lead and eventually lose her spot in the CME Globe Tour that in one stretch had appeared to be hers for the taking.

Three-up over Vu and Korean Amy Yang after sterling rounds of 63-65-64, the Norwegian crumbled under pressure and limped with a birdie-less 74, marred by a wet double bogey on the 18th.

She ended up tied at fifth instead at 266 and lost precious points that would’ve boosted her previous No. 80 ranking in the CME race. Instead, she settled for 133 points that could only lift her to No. 70 in the final ranking, 10 spots short of target.

Vu, meanwhile, followed up her third round 62 with a 66 as she pooled a 261 and beat fellow American Alison Lee, who shot a 67 for a 264, by three to clinch the championship worth $487,500.

The two-time major winner this year (Chevron Championship and Women’s British Open) came into the Annika tilt just three points behind fellow four-leg champion