Guce weathers tough conditions at FireKeepers; Pagdanganan to lead Filipinas’ bid at Great Lakes

Clariss Guce (left) and Bianca Pagdanganan

Pilipinas Golf

MANILA, Philippines — Clariss Guce endured a tough, triple-bogey mishap in wet and windy conditions, closing with a two-over 74 to finish in a tie for 42nd at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Michigan on Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Meanwhile, Epson Tour rookie Lauryn Nguyen bucked the elements at The Medalist Golf Club to capture her breakthrough professional title.

Guce, the lone Filipina to make the cut in the 54-hole tournament, struggled to find her rhythm early. After opening with seven consecutive pars, she dropped three strokes on the par-4 eighth following two errant shots and a missed putt.

Though she bounced back quickly with a birdie on the par-5 ninth, she conceded another bogey on No. 14 before clawing back a stroke on the next long hole. Finishing with a 38-36 round, Guce posted a three-day total of 217, that included a 72 and 71.

At the top of the leaderboard, Nguyen coasted to a three-shot victory. Despite a double-bogey on No. 6, the 23-year-old rattled off six birdies against two late bogeys to close with a 70, finishing the tournament at nine-under 207. Her milestone victory was punctuated by a clutch birdie putt on the 54th hole.

"I think just coming down the stretch, being able to talk about something other than golf is one thing that we do really well," said Nguyen, credited her support system. "Just being able to lean on someone and know that you're not alone."

The victory came just over a year after Nguyen led Northwestern to its first-ever NCAA National Championship. With the win, she took home $30,000, 500 Race for the Card points, and 500 points in the inaugural week of the 2026 Pure Michigan Cup.

"I honestly had no expectations coming into this year," said Nguyen when asked about her early success. "I just wanted to learn. There are a lot of really great, experienced players here, so everything else is just a bonus."

Epson and LPGA veteran Jenny Coleman also shot a 70 to finish second at 210, while Malaysia’s Mirabel Ting charged back with a 68 to claim third place at 211.

With compatriots Dottie Ardina, Pauline del Rosario, Tomi Arejola and Sam Bruce missing the weekend cut, Guce stood alone for the Philippines. However, the contingent is determined to bounce back at the Great Lakes Championship, which gets going Friday at The Highlands in Harbor Springs, also in Michigan.

All eyes, however, will be on Bianca Pagdanganan, who is set to anchor the Filipina campaign. The big-hitting Filipina enters the 54-hole event fresh off a tied-49th finish at the US Women’s Open and an abbreviated appearance at the Dow Championship alongside partner Chanettee Wannasaen.

Meanwhile, Gina Kim and Yana Wilson put on a masterclass in the best-ball format, firing a spectacular final-round 62 to capture the Dow Championship with a 17-under 263 total at the Midland Country Club.

Hye Jin Choi and Hyo Joo Kim carded a 65 to settle for second place at 265, while the pairs of Jin Hee Im-Somi Lee (61) and Lilia Vu-Alison Lee (64) tied for third at 266.

Meanwhile, newly crowned US Women’s Open champion Nelly Korda and partner Olivia Cowan could not sustain their momentum. After putting themselves in contention with a second-round 60 in best ball, the duo stumbled with a 76 in Saturday’s alternate-shot format. They closed with a 66 in best-ball to finish tied for 17th at 272.