Shaky windup drops Pagdanganan out of title hunt in Arizona Women's Golf Classic

MANILA, Philippines — Bianca Pagdanganan hobbled at the finish and floundered in moving day, virtually bowing out of contention with a two-over 74 in the Arizona Women’s Golf Classic at the Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

Aussie Gabriela Ruffels produced a sterling round when it mattered most, shooting a bogey-free 67 to wrest control by two over erstwhile co-leaders Min A Yook of Korea and American Kathleen Scavo heading to the final 18 holes of the kickoff leg of this year’s Epson Tour.

Pagdanganan put herself in the mix with a first round 69 but fell by five with a 71 Friday as Ruffels and company pressed their respective bids with low scores.

Ruffels birdied four of the last six holes to cap a solid a solid 35-32 card for a 54-hole total of 14-under 202 as she gained the solo lead over Min and Scavo, who matched 69s for a 204s.

Soo Bin Joo also put in a 69 for solo fourth at 205 while fellow Korean Minji Kang moved to fifth at 206 with an eagle-spiked 67.

Pagdanganan rebounded from a miscue on No. 3 with a birdie on the ninth then made up for her back-to-back bogeys from No. 10 with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15. But the ICTSI-backed shotmaker missed the last two greens and failed to rescue pars, ending up with a 36-38.

She tumbled to joint 37th at 214, now 12 shots behind Ruffels.

The recent Anvaya Cove International runaway winner kept her big-driving ways, posting a 289-yard norm but missing half of the 14 fairways, She also struggled on her way to the green, reaching regulation just nine times but finished with 28 putts, including two that were set up by superb bunker blasts.

Clariss Guce also wavered with a 75 after a second round 68 as the Fil-Am ace slipped to tied 52nd with a 217 aggregate.