Paris Olympics: Pagdanganan now trails by seven, Ardina cards 69
Philippines’ Bianca Isabel Pagdanganan speaks with her caddie during round 3 of the women’s golf individual stroke play of the Paris Olympics at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, south-west of Paris on August 9, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)
Dottie Ardina was the better performer for the Philippines in the third round of women’s golf competition of the Paris Olympics on Friday as Bianca Pagdanganan slowed down a tad to now be seven shots off the pace being set by Lydia Ko and Morgane Metraux at Le Golf National.
Ardina finished birdie-eagle to submit a three-under-par 69 to give folks back home a lot to cheer for, although the pocket-sized Canlubang native remained out of medal contention at 217, 10 strokes off the gold medal pace and nine off bronze.
Article continues after this advertisementStill, it was a performance worth remembering as Ardina salvaged her best round of the week with a finish to remember, canning a 13-foot putt for eagle on the 54th hole, one of six for the third round even as Pagdanganan birdied the 18th for a 73 to drop out of the top 10 and be seven adrift of the joint leaders.
Pagdanganan had it at four-under overall early in her front nine. She had two of her four bogeys from Nos. 12 to 17 before that two-putt birdie at the 18th.
It will take a truly low score and a lot of help from the leaders for Pagdanganan to land a medal, although a lot of things can still happen over the layout which has been playing so tough that there were several changes in the leaderboard all throughout the round.
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Philippines’ Dottie Ardina competes in round 1 of the women’s golf individual stroke play of the Paris Olympics at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, south-west of Paris on August 7, 2024. (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP)
Ko, though, was the steadiest player of the day, as a 68 gave her a share of the lead with Metraux, who needed eagle at the 18th to salvage a roller coaster round and a 71.
Rose Zhang churned out the best round of the day, draining two eagles capped by one at No. 18 from just over two feet for a 67 to be just two strokes off the pace like Miyu Yamashita of Japan, who signed for a 68.
The Americans are looking to sweep the golf competitions after Scottie Scheffler rallied last week to win the gold, shooting a course record-tying 62 to win by a shot over England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
No more than five shots separate the top 10 players from the gold medal pace, counting world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States, who settled for a second straight 70 after three-putting the 17th green for the second consecutive round and missing makeable birdie putt at No. 18.
Ardina actually blew a three-under card when she double-bogeyed the par-3 16th, only to rebound with that finish the duplicated Pagdanganan’s second round effort.
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