Pagdanganan gets grip on LPGA card

MANILA,Philippines — Bianca Pagdanganan hit clutch birdies to salvage an even par 72 and all but secure an LPGA Tour card on her very first try as she improved to joint 18th heading to the final day of the grueling eight-round LPGA Q-Series in North Carolina Friday.

The Asian Games bronze medalist struggled with her tee shots a day after firing the tournament-best bogey-free 64 Thursday that moved her to joint 27th, making double bogeys on two par-3s (Nos. 2 and 9) of Pinehurst No. 9 and dropping a stroke on No. 11. But she gunned down five birdies in tough, cold conditions and capped her big fightback with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a 38-34.

With a seven-round total of 498, the country’s SEA Games’ top gun lay 17 strokes behind leader Muni He of China but stood safely within the Top 45 and ties group that will receive LPGA Status in 2020.

But while the former Philippine Ladies Open champion, who topped the LPGA elims Stage I in California and finished No. 8 in Stage II behind a final round 64 in Florida, has all but clinched her card barring a final round disaster, compatriots Clariss Guce and Dottie Ardina’s respective bids suffered a snag with over par cards in the penultimate round.