BIANCA Pagdanganan overcame a disastrous four-hole stretch early on yesterday (Sunday in the US) with solid putting on her last nine holes to card a 3-under-69 and finish in a four-way tie for 53rd at the close of the Portland Classic in Oregon.
Pagdanganan, who lost her regular LPGA tour card after a dismal 2022 season, looked headed for another disappointing outing after a double bogey-bogey on the third and fourth holes of the par 72, 6,478-yard Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
But the 2019 Philippine Southeast Asian Games gold medalist gritted her teeth, bouncing back with a birdie on No. 5 and an eagle on No. 7 to finish the front nine with an even par-36.
Stroking her putter with confidence with each succeeding hole, she got her second birdie on No. 12 then capped her last round with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 for her three-under round and a 281 tally.
Pagdanganan pocketed $4,686 (around P265,000) while finishing 19 shots behind Thai rookie and qualifier Chanettee Wannasaen, who emerged as the surprise champion after carding a sizzling bogey-free 63 in the last round.
Only 19, Wannasaen came up with her best score after four rounds for a 262 total and a four-stroke win over China’s Xiyu Lin (64-266), earning the top prize of $225,000 (P12.7 million) on her first LPGA tour victory.
