Bianca Pagdanganan found her rhythm a bit late, but managed to salvage an even-par 72 to secure a tie for 13th place after the opening round of the women’s golf competition at the Olympic Game Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on Wednesday evening (Manila time).
Pagdanganan’s performance was marked by a slow start as she struggled to capitalize on her powerful drives.
She dropped strokes on holes 4 and 5 after hitting into fairway bunkers and added another bogey on the seventh, leaving her three-over par at the turn.
However, she rebounded with a birdie on the 12th, followed by another on the 15th, and concluded her round with a spectacular birdie on the par-5 18th hole despite a drive into the water.
This strong finish put her in joint 13th alongside prominent players such as world No. 1 Nelly Korda, fellow American Rose Zhang, and Thai star Atthaya Thitikul, seven strokes behind the leader.
Earlier in the day, Dottie Ardina, like Pagdanganan is also supported by ICTSI, faced challenges in her Olympic debut, finishing with a four-over 76 for a tie in 40th place.
Her round was plagued by multiple bogeys from bunker mishaps and water hazards.
Yuka Saso, who finished ninth in Tokyo while representing the Philippines, struggled throughout her round.
She bogeyed the first hole, double-bogeyed the seventh, and added another bogey on the eighth, ending her front nine with a 39.
Despite trading bogeys and birdies on the back nine, Saso, now representing Japan, finished tied for 46th with a 77.
