Yuka Saso makes slight move; Bianca Pagdanganan stuck at 2-under

Philippines’ Yuka Saso watches her drive from the 10th tee in round 3 of the women’s golf individual stroke play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe on August 6, 2021. (Photo by YOSHI IWAMOTO / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines—Yuka Saso continued to improve on her form while Bianca Pagdanganan further slid down the table in round 3 of the women’s golf competition of the Tokyo Olympics Friday at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Saso fired a four-under par 67 and climbed 14 spots to 20th place, but her 4-under aggregate in the tournament might not have enough push to throttle her up the leaderboard as blistering low scores continued to mark the competition.

Saso still trailed the leader, American Nelly Korda, by a whopping 11 strokes going into the final round. The reigning US Women’s Open champion, however, was within six shots of a group at 10-under, the score currently sitting at third place.

Saso, who teed off at hole 10, bogeyed at the start of the round but finished strong in the back nine hitting birdies in holes 17 and 18.

The reigning US Women’s Open then had a steady run in the front nine hitting while hitting birdies in holes 3 and 8.

Philippines’ Bianca Pagdanganan plays a shot out of the bunker on the 9th hole in round 3 of the women’s golf individual stroke play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe on August 6, 2021. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

While Saso found her stroke, Pagdanganan failed to cash in on a blistering start to her day. She was three-under for the day through 10 holes–five under for the tournament–but sputtered with double bogeys on 11 and 14 and a bogey on 15. She managed to birdie holes 13 and 18 for a second straight even 71.

Pagdanganan was still mired at 2-under for the tournament. That may have been enough to keep her in the top 10 after the first round, but with several other golfers in the field hitting it low over the past two days, Pagdanganan dropped to 29th.

Unless a storm gets in the way, the fourth round tees off on Saturday.