Pagdanganan rallies to save 2nd 70, moves to joint 15th

MANILA, Philippines – Bianca Pagdanganan closed out with three straight bogeys to rescue another 70 as she gained nine spots from a share of 24th. But she fell farther back by eight to Korean Hyo Joo Kim halfway through the Ascendant LPGA Benefitting Volunteers of America at The Colony, Texas Friday (Saturday, Manila time).

The big-hitting Filipina kept her long game going, missing just one fairway but continued to wrestle with her irons, reaching regulation 11 times although her steady putting pushed her to joint 15th at 140, using just three putts in the closing holes to save a 37-33.

Still, her 140 aggregate at the par-71 Old American Gold Club kept her way off Kim, who preserved her overnight two-stroke lead with a 68 for 132 even as Paraguay’s Sofia Garcia remained behind at 134, also after a four-under card.

Pagdanganan, who tied for third in last week’s NW Arkansas Championship in Arizona to match her career-best finish in the LPGA Tour, headed for a challenging round after dropping strokes on Nos. 5 and 7 and missing a number of birdie opportunities.

But she got going after birdying the par-3 16th, picking up strokes on the par-5 next and the finishing hole.

Dottie Ardina also rebounded from a bogey-bogey slip from No. 11 with three birdies, including two in a big frontside finish as she likewise carded a 70 to make the cut at joint 40th with 142.

In Florida, all three Filipina bidders fell by the wayside as Abby Arevalo and Clariss Guce struggled with identical 73s for 143s and Pauline del Rosario also hobbled with a one-over card for a 144 after two rounds of the Epson Tour Championship in Daytona Beach.

The cut was pegged at 141.

Chinese Michelle Zhang shot a 67 to stay ahead at 130, two strokes clear of Korean Minji Kang, who pooled a 132 after a 69.