MANILA, Philippines – Bianca Pagdanganan closed out with a 71 and beat Thai Kan Bunnabodee, who finished with a 72, by three for the individual gold in golf competitions of the 30th Southeast Asian Games at Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.
The Asian Games Bronze medalist actually blew a two-stroke lead and even trailed Bunnabodee by one with two holes left in the 54-hole tournament. Vut the Thai succumbed to pressure and double-bogeyed No. 8, enabling the Filipina ace, who parred the penultimate hole, to regain the lead.
Bunnabodee also bogeyed the last, the par-5 No. 9, in a desperate bid to get a birdie, with Pagdanganan holing out with a birdie to secure the victory which augured well for her debut in the LPGA Tour in February.