Pagdanganan, Guce match 70s, trail leader by 6 in Ascendant LPGA tilt
MANILA, Philippines – Bianca Pagdanganan wrestled with her irons and settled for a one-under 70 as she trailed a hot-starting Hyo Kim by six at the start of the Ascendant LPGA Benefitting Volunteers of America at The Colony, Texas Thursday (Friday, Manila time).
The power-hitting Filipina ace exuded confidence coming into the $1.8 million championship at the Old American Golf Club but found the par-71 layout a lot tougher, netting her just three birdies against two bogeys despite hitting all but one fairway on a 279-yard driving norm.
She also finished with 28 putts, including two bunker saves, but went out of regulation seven times that imperiled her charge following a joint third place effort in last week’s NW Arkansas Championship in Arizona where she closed out with a 64 spiked by two eagles.
But starting at the backside of the Old American course, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker, who won the Anvaya Cove Invitational in Morong, Bataan last February, ran off seven straight pars before dominating the par-5 17th.
Bogeys on Nos. 18 and 1, however, dropped her to 50th place but picked up another stroke on the next long hole (No. 2) then hit another birdie on the par-3 third hole.
But flubbed birdie chances stalled her charge in the last six holes, which she parred as Pagdanganan wound up at tied 24th in the early going of the 72-hole championship controlled by five-time LPGA winner Kim.
The Korean gunned down eight birdies, highlighted by a four-feat binge from No. 13 against a lone bogey as she took command with a 64, two shots clear of young Taiwanese Yu-Sanga Hou, Spain’s Azahara Muñoz and Paraguay’s Sofia Garcia, who matched 66s while Aussie Sarah Kemp and Marina Alex of the US turned in identical 67s for a share of fifth.
Dottie Ardina also struggled with a two-bogey, one-birdie card and posted a 72, just above the projected cutoff score (one-over).
Over in Florida, Abby Arevalo failed to sustain a scorching start, ending up with a two-under 70, seven strokes behind rookie Michelle Zhang of China and Korean Minji Kang, who both closed out with eagles on the par-5 18th to match nine-under 63s for a one-shot lead over Malaysian Ashley Lau, who put in a 64 at the
