 |
| Bianca Pagdanganan continues to knock on the podium's door midway into the Paris Olympics women's golf event. AP (file photo) |
MANILA--Bianca Pagdanganan stayed in the medal hunt in the women's golf event of the Paris Olympics as Day 2 of the four-round tournament commenced at the Le Golf National.
Pagdanganan bounced back from her even Day 1 with a three-under-par 69 stint on Day 2 to move up to a six-way tie for sixth place which included erstwhile leader Celine Boutier.
The French golfer misfired midway into the back nine as she conceded bogeys in three straight holes including double bogeys in Holes 13 and 15 to finish the second round with a four-over-par 76 which dropped her to three-under-par 141 in total.
World number 137 Morgane Metraux is the surprise new frontrunner following a sensational front nine in which Switzerland's top bet scored two eagles in Holes 3 and 9, both Par 5s.
She bogeyed in three holes in the back nine to settle for a six-under-par 66 for the day, but following Boutier's struggles, Metraux is now solely on top with an eight-under-par 136 total.
World number five Yin Ruoning of China also banked on an impressive Day 2 to go second with seven-under-par 137.
New Zealand's Lydia Ko is now third also thanks to a solid Round 2 with a five-under-par 139, just one ahead of joint fourth placers Mariajo Uribe and Pia Babnik and two ahead of Pagdanganan and Boutier along with four others.
Babnik rose to the occasion in the second round as the Slovenian got out of the red zone with a six-under-par 66 to even go ahead of Pagdanganan and Boutier.
Dottie Ardina, the other Filipina bet, finished even par 72 to stay four over par two days in, but as things stand, despite moving up to a tie for 36th place, her hopes of snatching a medal are now bleak.
Two-time US Open champion Yuka Saso continued to struggle as she went over par again on Day 2 to drop to seven-over-par 151, joining a five-way tie for 47th place.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
