BIANCA Pagdanganan dipped slightly in form but still shot a 69 yesterday, moving up into a five-way tie for sixth after three rounds of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G in Mainville, Ohio.

After shooting consecutive 68s in the first two rounds, Pagdanganan assembled nines of 35-34, going birdie-bogey-birdie on the last three holes of the par-72, 7,180-yard TPC River’s Bend course located in the village known as “Yankeetown,” 136.31 kilometers southwest of the Ohio capital of Columbus.

The two-time Olympic Games veteran had a three-round tally of 205, five shots behind Thai solo leader Jeeno Thitikul, who checked in with a 68 and held a two-shot lead over New Zealand star Lydia Ko going into the final round of the tourney offering a top prize of $300,000 (roughly P16.140 million).

Known for her power off the tee, Pagdanganan hit 10 of 14 fairways and reached 13 of 18 greens in regulations, including saving one out of a bunker, on the way to completing the round with 30 putts.

The ICTSI-sponsored golfer had a nice second shot on the par-3 16th hole, drilling in an eight-foot birdie and was in fifth place at that point, only to slip back to sixth with a bogey on the succeeding hole, before winding up with her fourth birdie on the 18th.