Pagdanganan struggles to regain early form, trails Bae by 5

MANILA, Philippines -- Bianca Pagdanganan's hopes of making a big move on moving day fizzled out as the Filipina remained five strokes behind Jenny Bae of the US after 54 holes in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open at the El Camaleon Golf Club at Playa del Carmen, Mexico on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

Despite a promising start to the tournament, the Pagdanganan failed to recapture the brilliance of her opening-round 68. She carded a 72 on Saturday, following a frustrating 74 on Friday, to finish at 214 for a share of 18th place heading into the final round.

But while Pagdanganan faltered, the battle for the top spot turned into a heated clash. Chinese contender Yahui Zhang and Japan’s Chisato Iwai birdied the par-5 18th hole, applying pressure on Bae, who closed with a bogey. That slip reduced Bae’s lead to just one stroke, setting the stage for a nerve-wracking final round in the $2.5-million championship.

Bae, who started the day with a one-shot cushion over Miranda Wang and Brianna Do, still led with a 54-hole total of 209 after an even-par 71.

“I didn’t finish as well as I wanted to, but that’s OK,” said Bae. “Just tells me that I need to fight more the last 18 holes.”

Zhang and Iwai, meanwhile, posted matching 68s to finish at 210, just a shot behind, ensuring a tense and strategic showdown on Sunday.

Beyond the leaderboard, the three frontrunners are also building momentum and sharpening confidence for the season’s next major – the prestigious US Women’s Open, which begins Thursday in Erin, Wisconsin.

Pagdanganan, supported by ICTSI, had aimed to bounce back strong after Friday's struggles. She briefly found form with a birdie on the par-4 sixth, breaking a run of pars. However, she failed to capitalize on other scoring opportunities, particularly on the back nine where she bogeyed the 14th and couldn’t convert birdies on the two par-5s (13 and 18). She closed with a 35-37 for a one-over 72.

Her stats told the story of the round – just seven fairways hit on a 274-yard average driving day, 14 greens in regulation, but 31 putts – a telling indicator of her short game woes.

The course at Mayakoba was set up for scoring, with the tees moved up on the par-4 17th to make it reachable with a fairway metal, and the par-5 closing hole.

In contrast, Bae exploded early with three straight birdies, but her momentum stalled. She dropped a stroke on No. 6 and settled for 11 straight pars before her costly bogey on the closing hole, enabling her closest pursuers to close the gap.

With the tournament heading into its climactic final 18 holes, all eyes will be on whether Bae can fend off the charging Zhang and Iwai – or if Pagdanganan can find one more gear to claw her way back into the mix.