Bianca Pagdanganan knew she had to “go big or go home” in that fourth and final day of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 Golf women’s individual stroke play, and so she did.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association veteran did her part with a huge 4-under 68 in the day and was tantalizingly close to a playoff for an Olympic medal.
China’s Lin Xiyu and, of course, eventual champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand proved equal to Pagdanganan’s clutch performance to put off the Filipino’s dreams of a breakthrough Olympic hardware in golf.
The 26-year-old Asian Games champion tried to keep her emotions in check but could not contain them as she expressed her thoughts on the fight she showed.
“I gave ‘em my all out there,” an emotional Pagdanganan said to Boom Gonzalez of Cignal TV/One Sports.
“Whatever happens at the end of the day, it happens.”
Pagdanganan came into the clubhouse with the provisional lead before Germany’s Esther Henseleit surpassed the round’s best from the Arizona University product with an even better 6-under 66.
Afterwards, Lin and Ko quashed any dreams from the 30th SEA Games queen of making it into the podium.
Though missing the medal by a mere shot, the two-time Olympian knew she had done what she wanted to show to the rest of the world – and, more importantly, to the sports authorities back home.
“I don’t know how else to put it; I really wanted it. I want our names up there. I want them to know that we’re great athletes and this isn’t just for golf,” Pagdanganan shared.
“We’ve excelled in other sports, and I think this is a great wake-up call for people back home that we can excel in sports if you could just find someone to support, that would be great.”
With a huge closing run this time around, Pagdanganan will look back into this journey, knowing that she belongs to this stage.
Perhaps four years later in Los Angeles, it will be her time to shine – with all the support she really wishes for.
