Pagdanganan regains putting touch, eyes strong finish

MANILA, Philippines -- Bianca Pagdanganan dished out another stellar performance, echoing her impressive first-round display by shooting a 66 and positioning herself for a Top 10 finish in the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

As World No. 1 Nelly Korda edged closer to another victory, Pagdanganan bounced back from a fumbling second round 74 with a remarkable six-under card, leaping from joint 35th to a share of eighth heading into the last 18 holes of the $3-million championship.

Counting her first round 68, the ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan pooled a 54-hole total of six-under 208. She remains five strokes behind Korda but is well-positioned for a strong career finish in the LPGA.

Pagdanganan regained her putting touch, using just 25 putts compared to 36 Friday. Despite hitting only eight fairways and missing the greens six times, she dominated the four long holes, birdying all but one.

Taking advantage of an early start, Pagdanganan rattled off four birdies in the first six holes, finding herself at joint third with third round leader Atthaya Thitikul and her horde of pursuers, including Korda, still warming up at the range.

Pagdanganan stumbled with a bogey on the ninth but birdied the 10th then struck back from another mishap on the 12th with three consecutive birdies from No. 13 for a pair of 33s.

Her best career-finish to date is joint second in the Ascendant LPGA Benefitting Volunteers of America last year.

Korda, meanwhile, underscored her readiness for another championship, her seventh in eight tournaments in the season, with seven birdies, leading to a solid 65 and storming ahead of the field at 203.

She took a two-stroke advantage over Hannah Green, who assembled a 205 after a 63, while Ayaka Furue threatened at 206 after a 67 and in a tie with Gabriela Ruffels, who shot a 68.

Thitikuyl faced challenges after a brilliant, lead-grabbing 65 in the second round, fumbling with a 74 marred by a double bogey on No. 17.

In Utah, Clariss Guce settled for a 72 as she wound up tied at 19th in the Copper Rock Championship won by New Zealand’s Fiona Xu at the Copper Rock course in Hurricane, also Sunday.

Abby Arevalo, whose campaign is also backed by one of the world’s top port operators, skied to a 77 and ended up tied at 65th with a 220.

Xu capped her 54-hole romp with a 64, finishing with a 194 and beating Keliegh Telfer by seven after the South African shot a 69 for a 201.