Pagdanganan makes cut in US Open, defending champ Saso, Ardina fall

MANILA, Philippines — Bianca Pagdanganan blew an explosive start with a breakdown of a finish then endured an excruciating wait before salvaging a spot in the US Women’s Open weekend with a 70 at the Pine Needles Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina Friday (early Saturday, Manila time).

Aussie world No. 4 Minjee Lee bucked a late tee-start and fired a five-under 66, catching American Mina Harigae, who slowed down with a 69 after a 64, at the helm at 133 after 36 holes of the $10 million major championship that saw the early exit of last year’s champion Yuka Saso and a number of top guns.

Pagdanganan came out firing in the morning wave after a woeful 75 start Thursday, birdying four of the first 10 holes to jump from below the cutoff line to joint 35th. But as the pressure to deliver mounted, the power-hitting Filipina stumbled with a double bogey on No. 14 and yielded another shot on the 17th to drop out of the race for the Top 60 plus ties spots.

With a three-over 145 aggregate, she slipped just below the projected cutoff score at two-over for quite some time but got a reprieve late in the day when a host of those in the afternoon group fumbled with over-par scores, enabling her and 11 others in joint 59th to advance.

They included Canadian Brooke Henderson, Germany’s Caroline Masson and recent LPGA Match Play winner In Gee Chun, who carded identical 73s, and multi-titled Danielle Kang, who hobbled with a 74.

The ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan hit all but two fairways in a much-improved stint at the mound off a 282-yard driving norm. But just when she thought she had the tough layout all figured out, she lost her rhythm and touch on her way home, ending up with five missed greens, including a bogey from the bunkers, and 30 putts.

But a stint in the Open weekend should fire her up all the more although she lay 12 strokes behind Lee and Harigae, whose 133s netted them a two-stroke lead over Korean Hye Jin Choi and Swede Anna Nordqvist, who shot a 64 and 68, respectively.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko also made her move with a 67 to threaten at joint fifth at 136 with Swede amateur Ingrid Lindblad, who carded a gutsy 71, with world No. 10 Sei Young Kim, also from Korea, turned in a 68 for joint seventh with Thai Moriya Jutanugarn, who also put in a three-under card, at 137.

Saso, who like Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina faced early ouster with poor opening rounds, fell farther back after a 77 with two straight bogeys from No. 9. Though she recovered those strokes with birdies on Nos. 12 and 15 and went one-under with another feat on the first hole, she bogeyed four of her five holes to end up with a 74.

The former Asian Games double gold medalist, who beat Nasa Hataoka on the third playoff hole at the Olympic Golf Club in San Francisco last year to score a major breakthrough, wound up tied at 121st with a 151, six strokes off the cutoff score.

Her failed bid is also expected to drop her from No. 15 in the world ranking next week.

Ardina rebounded from a horrible 78 with a 69 but her 147 could only lift her to joint 81st and out of the last 36 holes in the season’s second major championship.

Other aces who missed the cut were Nanna Madsen of Denmark (72-146), Swede Madelene Sagstrom (77-146), world No. 9 Hyo Joo Kim of Korea (75-147), Thai former world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn (75-148), reigning US Amateur champion Jensen Castle (75-149), Thai major champion Patty Tavatanakit (78-149), Ayaka Furue of Japan (75-149), former Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno, also of Japan, (74-150), and Germany’s Sophia Popov, also a former British Open champion, (79-150).