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GREENSBORO, Georgia – Ally McDonald held the lead Saturday in the Women’s Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Championship Drive On Championship-Lake Reynolds Oconee, shooting a three-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 about the position I’m in,” McDonald said. “Mentally, I think I handled myself very well. Ready to face tomorrow. “
Four shots ahead of Pagdanganan with two holes to play, McDonald bogeyed at par three 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 that I really settled in and played solid golf on 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.
“There was like a big sigh of relief after I made my last putt,” Pagdanganan said. “It was a bit frustrating. I was hitting so many good shots, but couldn’t get any putts to land. In general, I am still quite happy with how I played. “
Danielle Kang was third with 11 under par after a 70 in the event added to the calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic that shut down women’s golf for five months.
“It seems quite surreal to be in this position in my career, but at the same time it is exciting,” said Pagdanganan.
Since Jennifer Rosales clinched her second LPGA crown via a two-time victory over Cristie Kerr at the SBS Open in Turtle Bay in Hawaii in 2005, a Filipina has not come this close to an LPGA victory.
A Pagdanganan win on Sunday could net him $ 195,000 (P9.4 million) right in his first season.
With a well-designed game plan and mindset, Pagdanganan, backed by International Container Terminal Services Inc., is ready to take on its opponents.
“I don’t think I have to do anything different tomorrow (Sunday). I will honestly trust my swing. I played the last three rounds well so I will keep reminding myself that I have to follow my game plan, ”she said.
Hope that she too will stick with the reminders of her coach Carito (Villaroman) and her dad Sam until the very end.
“They just told me to play my game and imagine the ball going into the hole,” said the circuit’s driving leader, who also continued to wow the field off the mound throughout the day.
She averaged 300 yards in her first round 68, decreased averaging 295 yards in her second round 67 before uncorking a monstrous 310-yard rule Saturday, including a heartwarming 313-yard blast at par five 18.
“I’m very frustrated today, but there were a lot of ups and downs,” Kang said. “But I think I handled the 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 is very good and fun. Everyone is here having fun, so that’s the main goal, that people see, have fun and be entertained. I’m glad they’re 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 today it was a bit more difficult to score, as it was more difficult to get close and have many birdie opportunities. Our group certainly had some fighting moments and sparkling moments, but the golf course is fabulous. “
