Bianca Pagdanganan encountered a bump on the road, carding a one-over-par 73 in Friday’s second round but still managed to cling to joint fourth in the Wistron Ladies Open.
The 25-year-old Pagdanganan is now bunched with two others after totaling three-under 141 in the $800,000 tournament held at the Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan City.
The lone Filipina in the meet, Pagdanganan is looking to score her second LPGA of Taiwan victory and cash in from her superb performance lately in the LPGA.
Wei-Ling Hsu of Taiwan is on top of the leaderboard after a 71 for a five-under 139.
Her compatriots Phoebe Yao and first-round leader Vivian Hou are a stroke behind after a 70 and 73, respectively.
Sharing fourth with Pagdanganan are Thailand’s Winchee Meechai who signed a 71, and Ching Huang of Taiwan who had a 73.
Pagdanganan, whose campaign is backed by ICTSI, is actually seeking a second TLPGA victory after a dominant final-round performance that netted her a six-shot romp over multi-titled PK Kongkraphan of Thailand in the inaugural Anvaya Cove Ladies Invitational in Bataan last February.
The power-hitting Filipina posted a career-best joint second-place finish in the Ascendant LPGA Benefitting Volunteers of America in Texas three weeks ago.
Counting her T3 performance in the NW Arkansas Championship, she crashed into Top 52 in the Race to CME Globe Season ranking last week before settling for No. 56 this week with 528.780 Globe Points.
Top 60 points earners after the Annika Drive by Gainbridge at Pelican tournament on 9 to 12 November will gain spots in the CME Group Tour Championship, a $7 million event slated 16 to 19 November in Naples, Florida.
