Bianca Pagdanganan registered a shaky performance to end with a 2-over 74 in the first round of the 2021 LPGA Cambria Portland Classic held at The Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Friday morning (Manila time).
The tournament has to shift to this course 26 minutes off Portland as its home for the past eight years — the Columbia Edgewater CC — saw a growth in homeless encampment along its borders.
Pagdanganan started the Thursday morning with a turkey off the first three holes that also saw her zoom into the solo lead. Nonetheless, a dropped shot in the following also started off her slide.
Two straight bogeys in Nos. 6 and 7 eventually put the Tokyo Olympian back to even par after the front nine.
Another birdie started it off for Pagdanganan in the other side of the course, but found No. 15 a difficult task as she needed two more hits to tackle the said hole.
The next two holes were as tough, as the 23-year-old golfer dropped a shot as well in each of them to go to 3-over. Fortunately, Pagdanganan closed it out with another birdie at the final hole and finished at a tie for 54th spot.
Dottie Ardina likewise had a rough morning in this Oregon suburb after finishing with a 3-over 75.
Ardina tried to turn it around from the back side as she coughed up three bogeys in the front nine. However, her two birdies of the day were negated by two more dropped shots to see Ardina at a share of 65th place.
Three players share pole position at 4-under 68 with Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn, Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda as of publishing.
The second round of the tournament is set on Friday morning in Oregon.
