VICTOR Hovland pulled ahead of the pack but not by much after shooting a 5-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead with one round left at the season-ending TOUR Championship on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
It’s not a comfortable lead, considering the talent chasing him, but a lead nevertheless as he seeks his second trophy in this tournament that offers a $10 million prize to the winner.
Hovland finishes with a fluorish
Two closing birdies provided Hovland the slim cushion that put him at 15-under for the tournament at 195, one stroke ahead of Ryan Gerard, playing in his first season-ender, who shot a bogey-free 66.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot a 66 and Chris Gotterup made a 67 and both were three strokes behind at 12 under in a tie with Adam Scott and Ludwig Aberg, both seeking first wins this season, and each shooting a 65.
Rory McIlroy also moved into contention, firing one of the day’s best scores, a 63, that propelled him into a tie for seventh with Cameron Young. Both were at 10 under 200, five strokes behind.
McIlroy slightly struggled in his first two rounds but found his groove in the third round, scoring nine birdies, narrowly missing a 10th on the 18th, to post his best score of the tournament. It could have been better but for two bogeys.
“I feel like I just left myself in better spots on the greens,” said McIlroy. “I gave myself easier putts, putts that didn't break two ways, and I didn't have a ton – I felt like, when I got it rolling there on the back nine, every putt was like a cup right or a cup left.”
Pagdanganan misses first cut in Epson Tour
Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina missed the cut by one stroke and only Clariss Guce made it to the final round as the Philippine contingent were nearly wiped out in the second round of the Dream First Bank Charity Classic in Kansas City on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
The cut at the 54-hole event was even par at the Buffalo Dunes Golf Course and both Pagdanganan and Ardina tied for 66th place, 1 over par for the tournament.
Pagdanganan shot a 1-under-par 71 and Ardina an even par 72, both with a total of 145.
Pagdanganan’s departure was a bit painful as she needed just a par on the 18th hole to advance. But she made bogey and ended a streak of 11 straight cuts made in the LPGA's development tour.
Also missing the cut were Tomita Arejola who shot a 78, 10 strokes more than her first round, and Pauline del Rosario, who carded a 4-over-par 76 and tied for 97th place.
Guce survived despite a 3-over 75 and tied for 37th place. A strong first round 4-under-par 68 saved her day.
Mirabel Ting of Malaysia shot a 2-under-par 70 and remained on top, this time sharing the lead with American Megha Ganne, who shot a 69.
The two are tied at 8 under 266 with one round left.
Meanwhile, at the LPGA Tour, Yuka Saso shot 5-over-par 77 in the second round of FM Championship Saturday and was tied for 137th place in the 140-player field, missing the cut by 20 strokes.
It was the third consecutive cut for Saso and ninth in 19 starts in the LPGA Tour.
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