Saso slips with 75; Pagdanganan makes cut

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso’s woes continued on Saturday as she stumbled out of the gates with a disappointing 75, plummeting from joint third to tied 33rd halfway through the FIR Hills Seri Pak Championship now paced by Malia Nam of the US at Palos Verdes Estates in California.

Nam shot a 69 to surge past Ruoning Yin and Madene Sagstrom with a 134 total with the Chinese and the Swede matching 135s after 65 and 69, respectively. Ireland’s Leona Maguire also fired a 65 at the par-71 layout and tied Americans Rose Zhang and Alison Lee, who carded 68 and 70, respectively, at 136, setting the stage for an intense battle in the third round of the $2-million championship.

Saso poised herself to challenge for the lead despite a double bogey on No. 17 in her first round 65, but she struggled to find her rhythm. She bogeyed two of the first six holes at resumption of her round at the back and conceded three strokes from No. 3 to fall off the rankings.

Although she bounced back with back-to-back birdies from No. 6, she faced another setback on the eighth and wound up with a 38-37.

With a 141 aggregate, the ICTSI-backed ace seeking a follow-up to her major breakthrough in the 2021 US Women’s Open found herself trailing the new leader by seven strokes.

She grappled with her form throughout the round, missing fairways and greens, and struggling with bunker play and putting. She hit just nine fairways and 12 greens and made two bogeys in four bunker visits, while ending up with 31 putts.

Meanwhile, Bianca Pagdanganan came away with three birdies against two bogeys, her one-under 70 earning her a spot in the last 36 holes of the championship. But with a 142 total, the big-hitting Filipina shotmaker stood too far behind the leader to pose a serious threat.

Norming a 284-yard drive, Pagdanganan hit 11 fairways but went out of regulation seven times marred by two bogeys from the bunkers. But she made up for her struggles with a 28-putt showing.

Meanwhile, first day leader Canadian Maude-Aimee Leblanc also floundered with a 79 after a lead-grabbing 64, barely making the cut at 143.

In Florida, Pauline del Rosario narrowly advanced in the final round of the Atlanta Beach Classic of the Epson Tour after a scrambling one-over 72 at the Atlantic Beach Golf Club, also Friday.

Lauren Stephenson struggled to match par-71 after a scorching opening 63 as she clung on to the lead with a 134, two strokes clear of Kim Kaufman, who pooled a 136 after 69, while three others assembled 137s, ensuring a wild finish in the 54-hole kickoff leg of the LPGA Tour’s farm league.

Del Rosario, who opened her campaign with a 73 Thursday, gunned down three birdies but faltered with four bogeys but secured a spot in the final round with a 145.

But Clarisse Guce failed to recover from a 73, limping with a 76 and failed to advance with a 149, along with Abby Arevalo and Tomita Arejola, who wound up with 156 and 157 after 79 and 80, respectively.