Ramos slips in ADT Morocco; Pagdanganan survives cut in LPGA
MANILA, Philippines — Sean Ramos faltered in a mid-round charge, carding a 70 to slip two spots into a tie for 14th after three rounds of the Morocco Rising Stars tournament at the Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).
Brimming with confidence after a second-round 68 that propelled him to joint 12th, the young Filipino ace seemed primed for a major surge. He quickly recovered from a bogey on the first hole with three birdies over the next nine. However, a bogey on No. 12 stalled his momentum he birdied the par-3 15th to save a pair of 35s, finishing with a 54-hole aggregate of seven-under 209.
Despite his efforts, Ramos fell further off the pace as Tanapat Pichaikool seized the lead on Moving Day. He ignited his round with an eagle on No. 3, quickly bounced back from a bogey on the fourth, and unleashed a stellar run of four consecutive birdies from No. 7. A par on the 11th briefly halted his streak, but the Thai standout resumed his birdie hunt, picking up three more over the next five holes for a brilliant 64.
With a 201 total, Pichaikool surged to a two-stroke lead over Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, who carded a bogey-free 67 for a 203 total. Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong joined the final group after carding a solid 65 for a 204 aggregate.
Meanwhile, Carl Corpus failed to sustain his second-round 68, settling for a 72 to drop to joint 45th at 215.
Over on the LPGA Tour, Bianca Pagdanganan struggled after a blistering opening 68 as the ICTSI-backed ace wavered with a five-over 76, transforming from an early contender into a scrambling survivor to barely make the cut at two-over 144.
She fell by 10 strokes behind South Korea's Soo Bin Joo, who fired a 68 to lead the field at 134.
Soo capped her round with back-to-back closing birdies, storming to a four-stroke lead heading into the final round of the 54-hole tournament – a crucial tune-up for this week’s US Women’s Open at the Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey.
Japan’s Akie Iwai also shot a 68 to sit at 138, tied with her sister Chisato Iwai, who matched the three-under card on the par-71 layout. Somi Lee carded a 69, while Frenchwoman Celine Boutier faltered with a 72. First-round leader Laetitia Beck limped to a 75 after an opening-round 63.
Pagdanganan’s troubles began early with a bogey on No. 10, her starting hole, followed by another dropped stroke on the par-3 15th. Though she recovered with a birdie on No. 18, the front nine proved a steeper uphill battle.
She bogeyed the first, double-bogeyed the second, and yielded another shot on No. 4. A bogey on the eighth dropped her right to the cut line, but a clutch birdie on the par-4 ninth saved her weekend.
Despite the setback, Pagdanganan remains focused on an explosive final-round charge as she sharpens her game for the US Women's Open in California, where she will compete alongside fellow Filipina Pauline del Rosario and two-time champion Yuka Saso and against the world’s best players, led by Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul.
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