Pagdanganan misses Top 10 bid after 70; Hoey slips despite 69

MANILA, Philippines -- Bianca Pagdanganan stayed solid for the second straight day but despite a 70, she narrowly missed a Top 10 spot, settling for a tie for 11th in the Lotte Championship won by A.Lim Kim in wire-to-wire fashion in Hawaii on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

After a sizzling 67 in the third round vaulted her into contention, Pagdanganan was primed to make a final-day push at the Hoakalei Country Club on Saturday. A birdie on the seventh hole briefly ignited hopes for a stellar closing stretch, but she couldn’t fully capitalize on her opportunities on the back nine.

Instead, she posted a pair 35s to finish the 72-hole $3-million championship at nine-under 279.

The ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan shared 11th place with last year’s winner Grace Kim, who closed with a 71, and two others. Each player earned $52,713, roughly P3 million.

Meanwhile, fellow Filipina Clariss Guce faced a tougher finish, carding a 77 to end in a tie for 64th at six-over 294.

Kim secured the victory with a final-round 68 to finish at 270, claiming her second major title since her 2020 US Women’s Open win.

Russian Nataliya Guseva came in second with a 69 for a 272, while Auston Kim took third place with a 67 for 273.

In Mexico, fellow Filipino Rico Hoey got off to a scorching start at the World Wide Technology Championship, notching three birdies in his first four holes. But he couldn’t maintain that momentum, finishing with a 69, which included three birdies and three bogeys on the back nine.

Hoey dropped six spots to share 21st place at 10-under 206 at El Cardonal at Diamante.

American Justin Lower surged to the top with a brilliant 63, joining Carson Young and Nico Echavarria at 200 after rounds of 67 and 68, respectively.

After co-leading in the first round with a 67, Hoey has been battling to stay within reach of the leaders, his performance highlighted by brilliant moments and steady resilience.