LPGA rookie 7 shots off after back-to-back eagles

Bianca Pagdanganan made back-to-back eagles on the final two holes to finish with a four-under 67 and climb in a four-way share of eighth spot halfway into the LPGA Marathon Classic at the Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.

The LPGA rookie overcame a rollercoaster first 12 holes on her way to completing a two-day aggregate of 136 alongside American Lexi Thompson, Spaniard Carlota Ciganda and German Sophia Popov.

She is seven off New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, who carded a 65 for a one-shot lead over England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff going into the final 36 holes.

Pagdanganan, who opened the tournament with a 69, had a shaky outing in the front nine that began with a birdie on the second hole followed by bogeys on the fourth and sixth and a birdie on the par-three eighth.

It appeared that the trend will continue after starting the back nine with a bogey on the 10th, birdie on the 11th and another bogey on the 12th.

But Pagdanganan finished off the day on a bright note when she converted a birdie on the 15th and the consecutive eagles on the 17th and 18th.

“That's so cool. That's also the first time it's ever happened to me, back to back eagle. I was like, Oh, that's pretty rare,” Pagdanganan said as quoted by the LPGA’s official site. 

“Of course, I just had to keep my cool throughout the round. Couldn't just let that take over. I was able to calm myself down and just hold on to that,” she added.

Meanwhile, Dottie Ardina made the cut after posting a 70 for joint 58th position along with eight others. Ardina had three birdies and two bogeys for an even-par 142 aggregate.

Compatriot Clariss Guse, however, missed the cut after she bogeyed the final hole for a 73.

Guse ended her campaign with a two-day score of 144, one below the cut.