Late birdies get Bianca into the mix
It took Bianca Pagdanganan the backside nine to figure out the Great Waters course and when she did, there was no stopping the rookie Filipina from getting into the mix in the LPGA Drive On Championship- Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia Thursday.
Outdriving herself, Pagdanganan scorched the par-72 layout’s frontnine with five birdies against a bogey for a 32-36 card, claiming a spot at joint sixth with former Major winner Pernila Lindberg of Sweden and American Marissa Steen, just three strokes adrift of a hot-starting pair of world No. 5 Daniella Kang and fellow American Jennifer Song at the start of the $1.3 million event in Greensboro.
She spiked that late birdie run with three straight from No. 1 then bounced back from a bogey mishap on No. 5 with birdies on Nos. 6 and 8 to dish out her best start in her first six tournaments in the world’s premier ladies circuit.
“I just gave myself good birdie chances,” said Pagdanganan, who actually looked headed for another mediocre start with a bogey on No. 13 against a birdie on No. 15 but found her range, rhythm and touch in the last nine holes to fuel an impressive start that bested her opening 69 in the Marathon LPGA Classic in Ohio last July.
And she spiked it with an astounding 300yard norm off the mound in windy afternoon that surpassed her Tour average of 286 yards and kept her on top of the driving category for some weeks now.
The ICTSI- backed ace, brimming with confidence coming off a joint ninth finish in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Pennsylvania two weeks ago, missed five fairways and failed to reach regulation four times but bucked the unreceptive greens and finished with 29 putts.
“Maybe off the tee wasn’t that great but my irons and putting were pretty solid,” said Pagdanganan.
Kang, who swept the first two legs of the pandemic-shortened LPGA season, including the Drive On Championship, also last July in Ohio, took charge again with a solid sevenunder 65, which Song tied with a sizzling backside start that featured four straight birdies from No. 12.