Pagdanganan chases crown at ‘Queen City’

The Philippines’ Bianca Pagdanganan came through with a second straight 68 on Friday to move within four shots off the leader in the Kroger Queen City Championship at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio.

That effort put the Paris Olympics fourth placer in the weekend conversation as Thailand’s Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul was clutching a shaky one-shot lead in the $2-million tournament that brought in the big names in the sport.

Pagdanganan now shares eight place at 136, tying golf stars like Anna Nordqvist of Sweden. The 26-year-old is in better position than World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States who is at T15 with 137 total so far.

Known for her booming drives, Pagdanganan this time leaned on her mastery of the greens, putting just 26 times as against 30 in the opening round.

She found the fairways 10 of 14 times on a driving distance average of 273 yards, and landed on the green in regulation 12 times.

Looking for a breakthrough victory in the LPGA, Pagdanganan was zone-in all day, birdieing the first three holes she encountered as she started on the back nine.

She also scored on the fourth, fifth and eighth to compensate for bogeys on 14th and third.

Thitikul birdied three of her last four holes to take a one-shot lead over another former World No. 1, Lydia Ko.

Thailand’s Jeeno, who announced last month she preferred to be known by her longtime nickname, had seven birdies in her second straight six-under par 66 at TPC River’s Bend, which is hosting the event near Cincinnati for the first time.

New Zealand’s Ko, who followed up Olympic gold in Paris with a victory in the Women’s British Open last month, had an eagle and four birdies in her six-under round.

Ko had set the early target, but Jeeno squeezed past with a birdie at her final hole, the ninth — one of the toughest on the course.

“You have water on the front, and then if you go long it’s going to be in the rough and a downhill lie,” Jeeno noted.

“But just commit to the shot,” she added.

“I had a pitching wedge, so it’s kind of easier than the practice round when I had, like seven- or eight-iron.”

The Thai made a belated start to the season after battling a thumb injury but teamed with Yin Ruoning to win a third LPGA title in June in the Dow Championship pairs event.

She started the day one stroke off South African Ashleigh Buhai’s lead and picked up four birdies in her first nine. After a bogey at the 10th she added birdies at the par-five sixth and eighth before her final flourish.