Filipina golfers falter, but still advance in Lotte tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan wavered with harrowing finishes on both sides for 75 and 77, respectively, while reigning US Women's Open champion Yuka Saso made a frontside rally for a 74 as they barely made the cut in the Lotte Championship in Oahu, Hawaii Thursday (Friday, Manila time).

Korean Hyo Joo Kim kept her hot form going, matching her opening 67 to seize a three-stroke lead over Sarah Kemp with a 10-under 134. The Aussie slowed down with a 69 after a 68 for second at 137. Meanwhile, Korean A Lim Kim also fired a 67 to share third place with Thai Ariya Jutanugarn and Haeji Kang, who carded 68 and 70, respectively, for 138s.

First round leader Hannah Green, also of Australia, missed seven greens and hobbled with a 76 after a 66, tumbling down from the top to joint 19th at 142.

Ardina tried to fight back from a frontside 38 with a birdie on the 10th but holed out with back-to-back bogeys for that three-over output and a 36-hole aggregate of 147.

Pagdanganan, whose opening 70 sparked hopes of a great week for the power-hitting ICTSI-backed campaigner like Ardina and Saso, dropped six strokes in the last six holes at the front in a harrowing windup that turned a one-under card to a five-over 77 and dropped her to Ardina’s group at 62nd.

Saso, meanwhile, saved a spot into the weekend play of the $2 million championship as she rallied from a disastrous backside 40 with three birdies against a bogey in the last nine holes for a 74 and a three-over total.

The cut was actually pegged at two-over but a number of bidders also faltered and wound up with high scores in tough conditions to enable those in the three-over group to salvage spots in the last 36 holes.

But Kim proved steady and consistent as ever, birdying two of the first six holes at the front then gaining strokes on Nos. 13, 16 and 18 to storm ahead of the field.