Pagdanganan pulls off huge win

MANILA, Philippines — Bianca Pagdanganan became the first Filipina to top an LPGA Qualifying Tournament, capping a brilliant week of shotmaking, iron play and putting with a four-under 68 to beat Aussie Hira Naveed by three and claim medalist honors in Rancho Mirage, California Sunday.

Tied with fellow amateur Min A Yoo of Korea and Ana Ruiz Laphond of Mexico after 54 holes in various courses, Pagdanganan pulled away early with a scorching three-birdie binge from No. 2 as Min settled for pars and Laphond fumbled with a one-over card in that stretch.

It was cruise control from there for the Asian Games individual bronze medalist, who bucked a double-bogey mishap on No. 6 with birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 then hit two more birdies against a bogey at the back to finish with a 33-35 at the Dinah Shore layout.

Counting her two 70s at Faldo and Arnold Palmer courses and an eagle-spiked 67 at Dinah Shore, the Univ. of Arizona product finished with a 13-under 275, three ahead of Naveed, who snatched runner-up honors with a 278 after a 69.

“I usually have no expectations coming into a tournament, so I can just do my thing and not put pressure on myself,” said Pagdanganan, a Bachelor in Sports and Society graduate who will return to Tucson and take one final class to fulfill her degree requirements.

“This week was pretty good. My ball striking was solid and that helped a lot. Also made some putts, especially a decent amount of birdies and just happy with how I concluded this event,” added the 2017 Philippine Ladies Open champion.

Laphond and Min failed to match Pagdanganan’s gutsy game with the former hobbling with a 73 for third at 280 and the latter limping with a 75 for joint fourth at 282.

Ninety-six others made it to Stage II but Daniella Uy, the other Pinay contender after three rounds, missed the cut with a bogey-marred 80 that dropped her to joint 107th with a 295 aggregate, two strokes off the cutoff score.

Well within her target at joint 36th after 54 holes, Uy even birdied No. 2 to boost her bid but after dropping a stroke on the next, she made a triple-bogey 7 on No. 7 and never recovered, bogeying five of the next 10 without a birdie to show and bombed out with a 41-39.

In contrast, Pagdanganan, who with Yuka Saso and LK Go powered the Philippines to the team gold in last year’s Asian Games in Jakarta, flashed resiliency after dropping two strokes on the par-4 No. 6 as she rebounded with two birdies in the next three holes to stay ahead of the pack with a 33 at the turn.