BIANCA Pagdanganan failed to sustain a hot start yesterday and settled for a 71 to wind up in a crowded 12-way tie for 10th place at the start of the HSBC Women’s World Championship at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.
Teeing off on the front nine and sinking birdies on three of the first six holes, Pagdanganan stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 8 and 13 on the way to her one-under par round at the difficult par-72, 6,749-yard Tanjong Course located on the popular resort island within Keppel Harbor.
The long-hitting Pina stood three shots behind pacesetting American veteran Sarah Schmelzel, who shot a 68 for a one-shot lead over world No. 1 Lilia Vu of the US, Germany’s Ester Hesenleit and Sweden’s Linn Grant, who all shot identical 69s.
It was a promising start for Pagdanganan, who finished in a tie for 29th place in her 2024 season-opening tourney in the Honda LPGA Thailand in Chonburi Thailand last weekend. She is bidding to make her seventh straight cut on the US LPGA tour.
She seemed to have figured out early the course known for its huge bunkers with birdies on holes Nos. 1, 3 and 6 before slipping with her first bogey on the eighth hole, a par-5, to close out the front nine with a 2-under 34.
After parring the first three holes on the back nine, she again flubbed No. 13, the only other par-5 hole, and parred the rest for a 35 coming home to set herself up for strong contention for the top prize of $270,000 (roughly P15.1 million).
Pagdanganan was solid with her drives, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and reaching 14 of 18 greens in regulation while completing the course with 31 putts.