Bianca Pagdanganan showed the form that earned her a full status in the LPGA Tour next year, firing a two-under-par 70 on Friday for joint seventh with one round left in the Simone Asia Pacific Cup at Pondok Indah Golf Course in Jakarta.
Her round was dotted with four bogeys but she scrambled six birdies in between to improve from her 73 in the first round Thursday for a two-under 143.
Reigning individual champion Princess Superal suffered with a 77 to place joint 42nd at seven-over 151.
Together, Pagdanganan and Superal are at joint 12th, 16 shots from team leader Thailand’s No. 2 pair of Atthaya Thitikul and Jaravee Boonchant who are at 10-under.
Sharing the place with them is the other Filipino pair of Dottie Ardina and Daniella Uy, along with Thailand 1 and 3.
Uy, who took the cudgels for the Philippines last Thursday with a 72, shot a 73 for one-over 145 and joint 19th.
Ardina, coming down from her stint in the LPGA and the Epson Tour, turned in a 75 for five-over 149 and shared 32nd place.
Thitikul, who won an LPGA Tour title at 20, continues to reign in the individual leaderboard after a seven-under 65 for a five-shot lead.
Counting her 68 on the first round, Thitikul, 11-under in the tourney, is poised to take both the individual and team crowns with a steady game Saturday.
Dayeon Lee of South Korea posted a 70 for six-under 138, while Eila Galitzky of Thailand is at solo third one shot further following a second-round 69.
The Philippines placed second in team last year through Superal and Pauline del Rosario.
Korean teams occupy the second to fourth places, chasing Thailand 2 which is four shots ahead.
The individual competition offers a total prize purse of $550,000 while the team event stakes a total pot of $200,000.
