TOKYO. – Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines kept her cool on a day when the temperature soared, firing a two-under par 69 on Wednesday to keep the leaders in sight after the opening round of the Tokyo Olympics’ women’s golf competition.
Keeping herself cool with an ice pack and a pamaypay in between shots, the 23-year-old LPGA campaigner birdied the first two holes to create momentum then kept her composure when the sweltering heat started to bear down on the field at the Kasimugaseki Golf Club in Saitama.
Pagdanganan made two more birdies against one bogey in her last five holes – including a near ace on the 16th — as she moved into a share of seventh, three shots behind leader Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden.
She was joined at seventh by eight others, including LPGA winners Inbee Park of Korea and American Danielle Kang.
In contrast, reigning US Women’s Open Yuka Sasostruggled in the heat that earlier had put the Fil-Japanese’s caddie Lionel Matichuck in a hospital after a heat stroke and left Pagdanganan’s coach CaritoVillaroman in a clinic at the course due to dehydration.
Saso couldn’t get going all day and finished with a three-over 74 that left her in a share of 47th place, needing to make up ground in Thursday’s second round to get back in the chase.
Sasomade an early bogey on No. 2 and steadied herself in mid-round only to slump with successive bogeys from the 16th.
