The Philippines loosens grip on Olympic golf dream in Paris

The Philippines loosened its hold of the Olympic dream in golf on Friday in Paris.

That’s after Bianca Pagdanganan struggled throughout the day, finishing with a one-over-par 73 with one round left in Paris Games’ women’s golf.

The 26-year-old Pagdanganan saw her chances of winning a bronze dashed after bogeying Nos. 4, 8, 14, and 17, on a day that golf’s biggest names made a daring assault of the leaderboard.

Pagdanganan birdied the second, 9th, and 18th to cushion the fall as she landed at two-under par 214, seven shots off the leaders at shared 13th.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko fired a four-under-par 68 to tie Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux in the lead at nine-under.

Rose Zhang of the United States also made a strong move, signing a five-under 67 to occupy joint third place at seven-under with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita.

Defending champion and World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States also made a strong threat following a two-under-par 70 for four-under 212 for joint seventh.

Dottie Ardina came through with her best round so far, banging in a three-under-par 69 to move up the ladder with just one-over 217.

The 30-year-old Ardina birdied the fourth, sixth, and eighth holes for a strong frontside at the Le Golf National.

She eagled the 409-yard par-5 18th hole and managed to birdie the 363-yard par-4 17, but not without bogeying the 12th and double-bogeying the par-3 16th.

It was still a big effort for the Olympic newcomer as she has a strong chance or barging into the top 20 of the competition. | via Marc Anthony Reyes