Pagdanganan finds late spark but trails by seven after 69

MANILA, Philippines — Bianca Pagdanganan recovered from a costly double bogey with a strong finish. She fired a three-under 69 Friday (Saturday Manila time) but fell seven shots behind Anne Chen after two rounds of the Smoky Mountain Championship at Green Meadow Country Club in Alcoa, Tennessee.

Pagdanganan, who opened with a 70, rallied with four birdies in her second round to offset the damage from the double bogey and improve to five-under 139, good for a share of 19th with ICTSI teammate Pauline del Rosario with 18 holes remaining.

The big-hitting Filipina got off to a solid start on the back nine, rolling in birdies on Nos. 12, 14 and 15 to build momentum, only to reel back with a double bogey on the par-4 18th.

She regrouped after the turn, however, birdieing Nos. 5 and 6 to close out a 35-34 card. Pagdanganan had chances to go even lower but failed to convert a couple of birdie opportunities on the closing holes.

Her 69 nevertheless moved her into the weekend mix, although she faces a steep climb with Chen sitting seven shots ahead at 12-under 132.

Chen exploded up the leaderboard with a spectacular 63, grabbing a two-shot cushion over Mirabel Ting and Rachel Kuehn, who stood tied for second at 10-under 134. Chen could have stretched her advantage to three shots, but a bogey on the 18th marred an otherwise brilliant round highlighted by 10 birdies, including blistering three-birdie runs from Nos. 3 and 14.

Ting shot a 66 to reach 134, while Kuehn carded a 68. Carla Escuder also fired a 66 to move into solo fourth at 135.

First-round leader Lauren Olivares, who opened with a sizzling 64, slowed to a 72 and slipped to joint fifth at 136.

Del Rosario, meanwhile, entered the second round with renewed confidence after a 68 on Thursday (Friday Manila time) ended a lengthy slump and put her in early contention for what could have been a breakthrough week. 

But she stumbled early in the day, bogeying Nos. 12 and 13 in a backside start. 

She quickly fought back with birdies on the next two holes, then added birdies on Nos. 4 and 6 to revive her chances.

But she could not sustain the charge down the stretch, settling for pars on the next two holes before a closing bogey left her with a 71 to drop into Pagdanganan's group at five-under 139.

Dottie Ardina also lost ground after an opening 69. The Asian Games-bound Olympian struggled to a 72, including a 38 on the back nine, before recovering with birdies on Nos. 5 and 6.

Ardina finished the second round at 141, good for a share of 42nd and leaving her with a considerable deficit to overcome in the final round.

With Chen holding a commanding seven-shot advantage, the focus for Pagdanganan and Del Rosario shifts to putting together another low round and hoping the leader finally shows signs of vulnerability.

Pagdanganan, in particular, will draw confidence from the way she responded to the double bogey, closing with back-to-back birdies to salvage a 69 and keep herself within the championship picture.