Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines displayed her long-hitting skills in the first round of the LPGA tournament in Mexico. She fired a blistering 4-under 68. The 27-year-old Olympian had the highest greens in regulation percentage of her young career, hitting 16 of 18 GIRS with intimidating precision. Pagdanganan’s killer opening 66 leaves her tied for the lead with Chisato Iwai, Jenny Shin, and Brianna Do.
Pagdanganan had one of the best shots of the week on the par-5 18th hole in regulation. Then she made a long two-putt birdie from 15 feet to move into a tie for the lead. She expressed satisfaction with her game, stating, “It felt like a pretty easy round, which honestly I haven’t felt that in a while.” She radiated self-possession as she navigated the challenging elements of soaring temperatures and high humidity. For her, it was home in every sense.
Chisato Iwai continued her strong week, birdieing two of her last five holes to close with a 66 to finish T2. Jenny Shin was equally impressive, logging seven birdies in her round with no blemishes on her card. She struggled on the 16th hole with a double bogey, eventually carding a round of 68. US Caddie Watch Bri Do started her day with a bang, getting to 4-under in her first five holes.
Gaby Lopez had a tough go of it the entire round, putting up eight bogies and shooting a 79. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good day for rookie stars Maria Fassi, either, with the University of Arkansas graduate carding a disappointing 75.
Pagdanganan’s knack for staying cool under fire and then coming out the other side ready to reengage carved the path for her big moments of the weekend. She remarked on her performance: “To be able to have that out here feels really good. I hit a lot of greens — not a lot of fairways. I felt like it didn’t matter that much to me today. I felt like I was swinging it pretty good. I had a pretty clear headspace.”
As the tournament deepens, all eyes will be on Pagdanganan and her competition. They are all hungry to succeed and to win in the next rounds.
Leave a Reply