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GREENSBORO, Georgia – Ally McDonald held the lead Saturday (Sunday Manila time) at the LPGA Drive On Championship-Lake Reynolds Oconee, shooting 3-under 69 to take a one-shot lead in the final round.
Without a win on the LPGA Tour, the 27-year-old from Mississippi had a total of 203 under par on the Great Waters Course.
Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines was second after a 69.
“I’m excited with the position I’m in,” McDonald said. “Mentally, I think I handled myself very well. Ready to tackle tomorrow.”
Four shots ahead of Pagdanganan with two holes to play, McDonald bogeyed at par 3 of 17, while teammate Pagdanganan closed with two birdies.
McDonald bogeyed the first hole and made a great run mid-round with five birdies on an eight-hole course.
“I played really solid golf after I got settled in,” McDonald said. “I made some bad changes towards the end of the round, but I’m not going to discredit the way I really settled in and played solid golf for most of my holes.”
Pagdanganan, a member of Arizona’s 2018 NCAA championship team after starting his college career at Gonzaga, is making his sixth start of the year on the LPGA Tour and seventh overall.
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“There was a huge sigh of relief after I made my last putt,” Pagdanganan said. “It was a bit frustrating. I’ve been taking so many good shots but I couldn’t get any putts to fall. Overall, I’m still pretty happy with how I played.”
Danielle Kang was third with 11 down after a 70 in the event added to the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down women’s golf for five months.
“I’m very frustrated today, but there were a lot of ups and downs,” Kang said. “But I think I handled curve balls pretty well. It’s good to finish with a birdie.”
The tour returned with another Drive On tournament in Toledo, Ohio in late July, with Kang winning that event and again the following week in Sylvania, Ohio. She leads the Race to the CME Globe and, ranked No. 5 in the world, is the highest ranked player on the field.
“The people here are very supportive and have been sailing or jet skiing from hole to hole,” Kang said. “That’s great and fun. Everyone is here having fun, so that’s the goal, for people to see, have fun and be entertained. I’m glad they are having fun.”
Carlota Ciganda of Spain had a 68 to reach 10 under. Australian Katherine Kirk was 9 minus after 70.
“The field is in incredible shape,” Kirk said. “I think maybe it was a little more difficult to score today, as more difficult to get close and have a lot of birdie opportunities. Our group certainly had some fighting moments and moments of brilliance, but the golf course is fabulous.”
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