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.

Still, 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.

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.