Pagdanganan positions for best finish of the season in Massachusetts tourney
BIANCA PAGDANGANAN positioned herself for a potential best finish of the season, turning in a fiery five-under 67 on moving day to soar to joint 10th in the FM Championship Saturday in Massachusetts.
After a 69-70, Ms. Pagdanganan gunned down seven birdies against two bogeys for the clutch 33-34 effort in the rain-delayed round at TPC Boston to grease her climb from 10 spots going into the final round.
The 27-year-old Olympian is now at 10-under 206 for the tournament, well on target for her strongest showing in a campaign highlighted by a tie for 26th at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open last April and marred by nine missed cuts in 14 starts.
Ms. Pagdanganan, who hit all 14 fairways on a 263-yard average off the tee and all but two greens in regulation, runs eight shots behind Miranda Wang of China.
Ms. Wang sizzled with a bogey-free 65 to open a three-stroke lead against Rose Zhang of the US (67) and Sei Young Kim of Korea (71) at 201.
Jeeno Thithikul of Thailand (65) and Andrea Lee of the US (66) share fourth at 202 followed by Korea’s Kumkang Park (64), Japan’s Ayaka Furue (66) and Celine Borge of Norway (67) in joint sixth at 203. Madeline Sagstrom of Sweden (70) is alone at No. 9 at 205 — one ahead of Ms. Pagdanganan, Rio Takeda of Japan (69) and Hannah Green of Australia (70). — Olmin Leyba
