BIANCA Pagdanganan is likely to renew her Olympic bid on an encouraging note after rising to No. 39 in the International Golf Federation Olympic women’s rankings issued at the start of the year.
A Tokyo Olympics Games veteran, Pagdanganan, who was able to regain her US LPGA tour card after a strong finish in the 2023 season, rose one notch from No. 40 at the close the year and is expected to go all out in earning her second straight trip to the Olympics in Paris, France in July.
Former golf prodigy and US-based Dottie Ardina, who sees action intermittently on the LPGA circuit, remained at No. 60, with the top 60 in the ratings at the cut-off date on June 24 eligible to play in the glitzy French capital.
A double gold medalist in the 2019 Philippine Southeast Asian Games, Pagdanganan is not entered in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champion at the Lake Nona Golf Country Club in Orlando, Florida this weekend.
But the long-hitting golfer is likely to compete in the second leg, the LPGA Drive On Championship, scheduled Feb. 25 to 28 at the Bradenton Country Club in Bradenton, Florida.
In her Olympic debut three years ago, Pagdanganan, who was joined then by Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso, now playing for Japan, finished in a three-way tie for 43rd at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in the city of Saitama.
Now ranked No. 157 in the Rolex women’s rankings, the Pinay golfer finished her 2023 season with a flourish, beginning with the Walmart Arkansas Championship last September, netting herself $112,775 (around P6.3 million).
She followed it up with another superb outing a week later, closing out with sparkling 65 to wind up in tie for second in The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America for a whopping pot of $143,411 (P8 million).
