MANILA, Philippines, March 10 ------ Bianca Pagdanganan wrapped up her campaign in the Blue Bay LPGA with a faltering finish, limping with a five-over 77 to end up 70th in the $2.5-million championship won in emphatic fashion by Japan’s Rio Takeda in Hainan, China.
Takeda punctuated her runaway victory with a flawless, bogey-free 64, outclassing the field to secure her second LPGA title by six strokes over Minjee Lee of Australia. The triumph further solidified Takeda’s status as one of the sport’s rising stars after she captured her maiden LPGA crown in a grueling six-hole playoff against Marina Alex in last year’s Toto Japan Classic. This time, the 21-year-old Japanese standout left no room for drama.
Clutching a shaky two-stroke lead over Gigi Stoll, Auston Kim and Cassie Porter after 54 holes, Takeda stormed out of the gates with three birdies in the first four holes. She then stamped her dominance with a five-birdie burst at the back nine to close out with a 33-31 round for an 18-under 270 total. Lee carded a 67 for a 277 aggregate to settle for runner-up honors, while another Japanese ace, Ayaka Furue, turned in a 68 to place third at 278.
In stark contrast, Pagdanganan, whose campaign is sponsored by ICTSI, struggled throughout the day. Despite a steady showing off the tee, hitting 11 fairways, she faltered around the greens, missing eight of them. Adding to her woes was her balky putter, which required 33 strokes to navigate the tricky layout, leading to a forgettable 36-41 round. Her struggles intensified on the back nine, where she dropped six shots, including back-to-back bogeys from No. 11 and a double bogey on No. 17, negating her lone birdie on the 10th hole. She wrapped up her tournament campaign with a 299 total, finishing 70th out of 74 competitors barely avoiding the bottom of the heap.
Source: philstar.com
Comments