30th SEA GAMES-GOLF: Philippines’ Pagdanganan ends gold drought in golf

TARLAC, Philippines —  Bianca Pagdanganan had gone through a lot of tests to be rattled one bit.

Down by one with two holes left – with a determined Thai in front of her and a SEA Games gold medal on the line – the Asian Games bronze medalist did the next best thing – stay focused.

“The game plan was to just keep the ball in play,” said Pagdanganan, who parred Nos. 7 and 8 after going one down with a costly bogey on the sixth.

The LPGA Tour-bound Filipina snatched victory from the clutches of defeat, pouncing on Kan Bunnabodee’s late mishap to turn a one-stroke deficit into a rousing three-shot triumph and claim the coveted women’s individual gold in the 30th edition of the Games at Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Pagdanganan lost a two-stroke lead in the face of Bunnabodee’s fiery charge in the last nine holes at the front and fell by one with a costly bogey on the par-3 No. 6. But it was Bunnabodee who cracked in a pressure-packed finish as she double bogeyed the par-4 No. 8 that enabled Pagdanganan to regain control with a clutch par and the Filipina ace completed her romp with a kind of finish that wins big-time championships.

The Thai went for broke on the closing par-5 ninth in a desperate attempt to net a birdie and possibly force a playoff but paid dearly for it as she hit it into the rough twice and ended up with a bogey instead for a 72.

In contrast, Pagdanganan kept her composure and calmly sank a birdie putt from an eagle-putt distance for a two-shot swing to save a 71 and cap her run of under-par scores that included a 70 and a 68 for a 54-hole total of seven-under 209.

“I feel very happy to see my teammates on the final hole watching,” said Pagdanganan after delivering the first SEAG golf gold for Team Phl since Princess Superal dominated the 2013 Games in Myanmar. “I felt like we won as a team.”

ADS by Cloud 9:
.
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT –

She almost blew her bid in individual play.

Keeping her two-stroke lead intact after matching Bunnabodee’s backside start of 36, Pagdanganan saw it wipe out by Bunnabodee’s two-birdie binge in the first three holes with the Thai surging ahead with another birdie on the fourth.

But the former Philippine Ladies Open titlist birdied the par-5 No. 5 to draw level, only to reel back with that missed green miscue on the sixth until Bunnabodee hit an errant drive again on the eighth into the rough, played out and three-putted for 6.

The gold medal feat also augurs well for the Gonzaga U product’s debut on the lucrative LPGA 2020 season after gaining a full membership card on her very first try by surviving a grueling four-stage qualifiers and finishing among the top 45.

ADS by Cloud 9:
.
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT –

“I want to thank everyone who watched and supported me. Today’s (yesterday) round was pretty okay but I didn’t hit shots as good as yesterday (Thursday) although I did come out good in the last few holes,” she said.

While Pagdanganan basked in glory, Bunnabodee rued her poor finish that marred what could’ve been a great comeback against the Phl’s top gun and on a hostile turf. She settled for silver with a 212 while compatriot Pimpina Panthong took the bronze with a 213 after a 71.Dante Navarro (The Philippine Star

.

It's only fair to share...