Filipina Bianca Pagdanganan turned in an eagle-carried 71 on Saturday and remained within sight of the $800,000 Wistron Ladies Open LPGA of Taiwan.
Celebrating her birthday right on the third round of the meet, Pagdanganan eagled the par-4 12th, thanks to her long drives that made heads turn when she was starting in the LPGA.
But she bogeyed the eighth and 10th, failing to capitalize on that surge despite an early birdie on the par-5 sixth of the Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan City.
Now she is just four shots off Taiwanese leader Wei Ling Hsu who shot a 69 to protect an eight-under 208. Her compatriot Vivian Hou was a shot away following a 71.
The 29-year-old Hsu had seven birdies but also had four bogeys in between, making 75 percent of greens in regulation and 80 percent driving accuracy.
Pagdanganan is favored to capture her second LPGA of Taiwan victory and with the way she’s playing, anything can happen.
The Filipina, who is hoping to catch a full LPGA status next year, won the Taiwanese Tour’s Anvaya Cove held in Bataan last February.
But sharing fourth place with her is Thai Wichanee Meechai who also carded a 71 for a similar 212.
Another shot behind is Taiwanese Ching Huang at solo fifth place after a 72.
There is a three-way logjam at sixth place clogged by hometown bets Li Ning Wang, Ssu Chia Cheng and Phoebe Yao at 214.
