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