Tag: Bianca Pagdanganan

Meet the longest players in the women’s game over the past 20 years, including three former World No. 1s

Maria Fassi topped the list last year at 279 yards.

Maria Fassi topped the LPGA’s driving distance category last year with an average of nearly 280 yards. The year prior, Anne van Dam clocked in at 291 yards, a full six yards ahead of her nearest competitor.

As the women’s game gets longer, stronger and deeper with each passing year, it’s interesting to note that some of the most powerful players in the game also often happen to be ranked No. 1.

Conversely, there are a handful of names on this list that might be new to casual fans.

The LPGA tracks driving distance on two holes each week, and there are times when the holes selected are designed in such a way that promotes the longest players on tour to hit a fairway metal or hybrid. In other words, the numbers below could’ve been even higher.

Here’s a look at the biggest hitters on the LPGA over the past 20 years:

Paula Reto, Bianca Pagdanganan among five from U.S. Women’s Open qualifier in Florida

Reto had 5-under 31s on the front nine in both rounds, and made four straight on Nos. 3-6 in the first round.

FORT MYERS, Florida — Darkness started to creep in at The Forest Country Club as three golfers tried to grab a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open on Wednesday.

An hour earlier, Paula Reto, a South African on the LPGA Tour, had shined brightly, firing a pair of 6-under 66s in the 36-hole sectional qualifier to earn medalist honors.

“A little bit of a pressure to start the day, and it was kind of nice making putts early in the round, kind of kept me going, got me some confidence and I just kept on thinking ‘One more hole, one more hole,'” said Reto, who had her father as her caddie.

Reto had 5-under 31s on the front nine in both rounds, and made four straight on Nos. 3-6 in the first round.

Melanie Green, a sophomore on the USF women’s team, grabbed the second spot by shooting 6 under. She had teammate Leonor Medeiros as her caddie. Green earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last week.

“It hasn’t quite hit me yet, but it’ll probably hit me in the next few days,” Green said of making the Women’s Open. “It’s super exciting. I’m super glad that I had my best friend on the bag today.”

Green had six top-10 finishes this season for the Bulls, and was sixth in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

“This is probably one of my best golf days in a very long time,” said Green, who drained a 20-foot par putt early in the round.

Five others played off for the final three qualifying spots and two alternate positions, and just beat the darkness and get in at Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where the Open will be played June 2-5.

Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan of The Philippines, American Jaye Marie Green, Morgane Metraux of Switzerland, and Muni He of China began what ended up a three-hole playoff an hour before dark.

Ardina, 28, survived with a 15-foot par putt on No. 1 after her approach went into standing water well left of the green, and she made a remarkable chip after taking a drop. Pagdanganan two-putted from 40 feet, draining a 10-footer, and Green just missed her birdie putt.

Metraux, 25, nearly holed out her chip shot from just off the green, but missed the 5-footer coming back to bogey and fall into second alternate.

Pagdanganan, 24, grabbed the first spot out of the playoff with a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 2, leaving Ardina, Green and He with probably one final hole before it became too dark.

Pagdanganan had 102 yards in and stuck a 56-degree wedge.

“I’ve been having those shots all day so I felt very comfortable, so I just did what I did for the past … I don’t know even know how many holes,” said Pagdanganan, who qualified for the Women’s Open in 2020 based on her finish in a major since qualifying itself was canceled that year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ardina also gutted out another tough par from the waste area on the par-5 No. 3, but couldn’t get that 15-footer to fall. Green, 28, and He, 22, both two-putted for par and were the last two qualifiers.

Naples High graduate Kris Tamulis led a handful of local players, tying for 20th after shooting 72-74/146. Gulf Coast High boys golf coach Kimberly Benedict, North Fort Myers’ Jordan Fischer, and Naples’ Addison Klonowski, all amateurs, tied for 23rd at 147.

U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifier
at The Forest Country Club, Fort Myers

Par-72

Qualifiers

1. Paula Reto, South Africa, 66-66/132; 2. Melanie Green (a), Medina, N.Y., 68-70/138; *3. Bianca Pagdanganan, Philippines, 70-70/140; *3. Jaye Marie Green, Jupiter, 72-68/140; *3. Muni He, China, 70-70/140

Alternates

First — Dottie Ardina, Philippines, 69-71/140; Second — Morgane Metraux, Switzerland, 69-71/140

Other scores

141 — Maria Fernanda Torres Martinez, Puerto Rico, 70-71; Jennifer Song, Ann Arbor, Mich., 73-68; Ruoning Yin, China, 69-72

142 — Jodi Ewart Shadoff, England, 72-70; Lauren Coughlin, Charlottesville, Va., 70-72; Yana Wilson (a), Henderson, Nev., 71-71

144 — Kelly Whaley, Palm Beach Gardens, 71-73; Kristy McPherson, Murrells Inlet, S.C., 72-72

145 — Caiyi Zhang (a), China, 78-67; Rachel Stous, Topeka, Kan., 71-74; Sydnee Michaels, Murrieta, Calif., 74-71; Hailey Davidson, Scotland, 72-73

146 — Kiira Riihijarvi, Finland, 72-74; Kris Tamulis, Naples, 72-74; Aditi Ashok, India, 75-71

147 — Kimberly Benedict (a), Bonita Springs, 71-76; Addison Klonowski (a), Naples, 70-77; Albane Valenzuela, Dallas, 73-74; Jacqueline Putrino (a), Lakewood Ranch, 72-75; Jordan Fischer (a), North Fort Myers, 77-70

148 — Elizabeth Nagel, Dewitt, Mich., 75-73; Josee Doyon, Canada, 74-74; Stephanie Na, Australia, 72-76; Haeji Kang, South Korea, 73-75

149 — Laura Restropo, Panama, 74-75; Nataliya Guseva (a), Russia, 73-76; Panitta Yusabai, Thailand, 75-74; Wichanee Meechai, Thailand, 72-77

150 — Elayna Bowser, Dearborn, Mich., 75-75; Marie Parra, Spain, 77-73

151 — Morgan Baxendale (a), Lakewood Ranch, 75-76; Sophie Madden, England, 74-77; Juliana Carmago (a), Colombia, 75-76; Valentina Haupt, Weston, 78-73

152 — Letizia Bagnoli (a), Boca Raton, 75-77; Emma Bradley, Naples, 73-79

153 — Erika Smith, Orlando, 81-72; Sandra Angulo Minarro, Mexico, 76-77

154 — Kaitlyn Papp, Austin, Texas, 79-75; Aneta Abrahamova, Slovakia, 76-78; Rachel Carlson (a), Bradenton, 76-78; Samantha Vodry, Little Elm, Texas, 74-80

158 — Haley Yerxa (a), Canada, 79-79

159 — Emilyee McGiles, Champaign, Ill., 84-75

160 — Chaewon Jeong (a), South Korea, 78-82; Louise Olsson, Sweden, 80-80

161 — Ellinor Haag, Sweden, 81-80; Jordyn Hodgson (a), Orlando, 78-83

166 — Ailsa Clark (a), Bradenton, 80-86; Christine Meier, Naples, 84-82

167 — Jordan Knox (a), Fort Myers, 87-80; Sophia Warren, Lakewood Ranch, 82-85

180 — Carson Racich (a), Rockford, Ill., 86-94

WD — Amelia Lewis, Jacksonville, 78

WD — Brooke Matthews, Rogers, Ark.

NC — Gabriella Degasperis (a), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

DNF — Dana Finkelstein, Chandler, Ariz., 72

(a) — amateur

* — won playoff

Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/

LPGA Q-Series: Breaking down the final week of golf’s biggest grind

“So we’re all here for different reasons, some good and some not good.”

Sarah Jane Smith finds herself back at LPGA Qualifying School for the first time in 13 years. The anticipation of coming back started to build in July for the Aussie mom and by the time the Pelican Women’s Championship had finished, Smith knew there was no getting around it.

“It was a lot,” she said, “but at the same time, I felt like a little weight came off once we got there.”

Smith is one of 74 players who made the cut to advance to the second stage of LPGA Q-Series. The top 45 players and ties will earn status for 2022. Smith ended the 2021 season No. 151 on the CME points list and 149th on the money list.

“I feel like it was always over my head,” said Smith, “and then once Tampa was finished it was like, ‘Right, this is what we’re doing. There is no ifs and buts. I’m going to Q-School. Let’s get ready.’ ”

At 37, Smith is on the veteran end of the experience scale at the RTJ’s Highland Oaks Highland & Marshwood Courses in Dothan, Alabama. Play begins on Thursday and scores from the first 72 holes of the event carry over. They’ll vie for a purse of $150,000.

France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard paces the field at 19 under.

There are seven players in the top 100 of the Rolex Rankings, including Ayaka Furue (No. 14), Atthaya Thitikul (No. 18), Hinako Shibuno (No. 38), Hye Jin Choi (No. 53) Na Rin An (No. 67), Emily K. Pedersen (No. 71), Steph Kyriacou (No. 77).

There are six amateurs, 17 Symetra Tour winners, nine LET winners, two Korea LPGA winners, three JLPGA winners, three China LPGA winner and three Solheim Cup players.

Early on in her Q-School experience, a shier Smith felt uncomfortable not knowing anyone in the field. Like she didn’t belong.

“Now having a lot of years on the LPGA, I don’t want to sound like in a bad way, but it’s girls coming out that either have little experience, or – obviously they’re amazing golfers – but girls that have struggled.

“So we’re all here for different reasons, some good and some not good. You just got to remember everyone is here for a reason and make sure you stay in your lane.”

Bianca Pagdanganan, 24, looked like she was poised to never return to Q-Series after a terrific half season in 2020. She led the tour in driving distance, made noise in her first major and advanced to the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, finishing 60th on the money list.

But none of that carried over.

LPGA Drive On Championship
Bianca Pagdanganan tees off of the sixth hole during the final round of the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship – Reynolds Lake Oconee on October 25, 2020 in Greensboro, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)

Pagdanganan made her first start of 2021, her real rookie season, in April at the ANA Inspiration and her final in October at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She made only $68,215, less than half of what she earned in 2020.

Pagdanganan tried to view the opportunity of a second rookie season in a positive light, focusing on the benefits of success and experience. But the results didn’t follow.

“Obviously, I feel like this year was a little bit tougher seeing how well I played the previous year,” said Pagdanganan, who is tied for 19th entering the second week of Q-Series.

“Again, there was a lot of pressure on myself trying to force myself to play the same way, trying to be who I was last year, trying to, I don’t know, just play great golf when I shouldn’t have, you know, done that.”

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Call of Duty ‘legend’ Bianca Pagdanganan one of four rookies to qualify for CME Group Tour Championship

A legend off the golf course playing ‘Call of Duty,’ Bianca Pagdanganan leads a small group of rookies into the LPGA finale.

NAPLES, Fla. ­– The first time Brandon Jackson caddied at the Inverness, he fainted after nine holes. He was 13 years old and trying out for a job at the historic club.

“My interviewer actually thought I was dead,” said 25-year-old Jackson, who forgot to eat before the round.

A dozen years later, that dramatic introduction to the caddie world has morphed into a full-time job with one of the hottest young players on tour – LPGA bomber Bianca Pagdanganan.

They met by happenstance. Jackson, who was the assistant caddie manager at Inverness, also worked part-time at Stone Oak Country Club in Toledo, where his girlfriend’s dad, Milton Carswell Jr.,  is the head pro. Pagdanganan, 23, was out practicing at Stone Oak in the lead-up to the LPGA Drive On event, and Carswell suggested he introduce himself.

“I met them out on No. 5,” said Jackson, who later that day offered her hole-by-hole notes for Inverness. The Marathon Classic was the following week in Toledo, and Jackson, a member at Highland Meadows, gave Pagdanganan his yardage book from when he looped the event in 2018.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDfRyP6FOrD/

By the time Pagdanganan’s next start rolled around in Arkansas, the enterprising Jackson was on her bag. It’s been that way since for the rookie duo.

This week she’s one of four rookies at the 72-player no-cut CME Group Tour Championship, joined by Andrea Lee, Leona Maguire and Yealimi Noh.

For the most part, Pagdanganan likes to keep things simple on the golf course. She doesn’t want to be overloaded with information. She’s not technical or mechanical.

“He gets more into detail with everything that’s going on,” said Pagdanganan. “After I made that putt at KPMG he was like ‘Oh you just played your way into the U.S. Open.’ What?

“I think there’s a good balance between us.”

Jackson, who caddies at Augusta National during the winter, played one year at Rogers Senior High School before the school cut the program. Another area high school, Ottawa Hills, let him practice with the team. He was awarded the prestigious Evans Scholarship and got a degree in professional golf management.

Jackson was set to chair a committee for the upcoming Solheim Cup at Inverness but with his new job on tour, will take on a less demanding role. He’s grateful now that his grandmother encouraged him to get a passport. He’ll likely be stamp-collecting next year.

“The more calm I can be,” he said, “even if I’m nervous or sweating… if she hits a bad shot, she knows that I’m not fazed. My uncle always told me, ‘Don’t get too high on the highs or low on the lows.’ ”

Bianca Pagdanganan and her caddie Brandon Jackson participate in the opening round of the CME Group Tour Championship, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, at the Tiberon Golf Club in North Naples, Florida.

Pagdanganan has her whole crew in Naples this week. Her longtime coach, Carito Villaroman, flew in from the Philippines with Pagdanganan’s mother ahead of last month’s Pelican Women’s Championship. They have a kitchen in their hotel so that Carmina can cook Bianca’s favorite Filipino dishes.

Villaroman was first struck by Pagdanganan’s commitment to the game at an early age, outlasting everyone else at the course. She was a lanky kid, and with school lasting from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, there wasn’t much time for the gym. He knew that when she went off to college – first Gonzaga and then Arizona – a strength program combined with those fast hips would translate to added distance. Every year that she came home from college, she’d be 10 to 15 yards longer.

Villaroman set a Junior World record at Torrey Pines of 15 under par that still stands today. He won the tournament by 11 shots, with Phil Mickelson finishing second. Villaroman actually won three Junior World titles and became the first Filipino to play college golf. He graduated from Weber State at age 20 and played two decades on the Asian Tour.

In addition to Pagdanganan, Villaroman also coached Yuka Saso for seven years before she started playing on the JLPGA.

When Villaroman caddied for Pagdanganan at the last two stages of Q-School last year, he noticed that no one hit it farther. So far, the stats show the same on the LPGA. She leads the tour with a 283.94 average.

When asked how much a $1.1 million payday would change her life, Pagdanganan immediately shifted away from the money. A victory at the CME would give her a guaranteed two more years of doing what she loves. In a year when LPGA status has been frozen, winning is the only way Pagdanganan can improve her position of 167th on the priority list. (She’s currently 59th on the money list with $198,586.)

That being said, the CME first-place money would be nice. Her older sister is an investment banker and her older brother is a lawyer, a handy combination for a rookie who simply wants to focus on hitting golf shots.

“At one point (my sister) was going to send me a Power Point,” said Bianca, “and dumb all these terms down just for me to understand. ‘You know, B, you’ve got to have a budget.’ ”

Pagdanganan first downloaded Call of Duty mobile, a shooter video game, when she was competing in Q-School. She’s obsessed with it and will reluctantly admit that her boyfriend is as equally skilled at the virtual combat franchise.

Pagdanganan has achieved “legendary” status in both the Battle Royale and Multiplayer games.

“It’s embarrassing for me to admit that,” she said, smiling.

Basketball remains the first love of Pagdanganan’s island nation, but she’s quickly gaining in popularity in the Philippines. It’s possible that she might one day become legendary in the real world, too.

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The LPGA’s three longest players are grouped together at the U.S. Women’s Open, where it’s driver all day

The three longest players on the LPGA are paired together at the 75th U.S. Women’s Open: Maria Fassi, Bianca Pagdanganan and Anne van Dam.

HOUSTON – The three longest players on the LPGA are paired together at the 75th U.S. Women’s Open, and Maria Fassi has already fired the first shot.

“I’m just gonna to have to hit a good one on the first three holes just to let them know who the boss is,” said Fassi, with a smile, “and then just try to hit fairways the rest of the round.”

It might be the first round of a major, but it won’t be void of a bit of trash talk.

Rookie Bianca Pagdanganan (284.655), Anne van Dam (281.849) and Fassi (280.352) tee off at 11:10 a.m. CST Thursday on the Jackrabbit Course.

Van Dam and Fassi, two players whose personalities are as big as their games, have been paired together several times this season and know each other’s games well. Van Dam said she enjoyed competing alongside players who attack a course in a similar way.

USWO: Photos | Tee times | TV info | First-timers | Memories

While none of these players plan to make Thursday a long-drive competition, van Dam said that she and Fassi have been known to give each other a look on the tee when it’s a wide open, green-light hole.

“We don’t have to say anything,” said van Dam. “You walk past it, if you outdrive her by 10 yards, and say ‘Nice drive, Maria,’ and get her fired up on the next hole.”

Pagdanganan has never been paired with van Dam on the LPGA. At the 2019 NCAA Championship in Arkansas, seniors Fassi and Pagdanganan were grouped together in the last round during the final round of the stroke-play competition. Arkansas’ Fassi won the NCAA title and Pagdanganan, who played for Arizona and helped the Wildcats win a team title in 2018, finished third.

During a rain delay, the pair discovered that both have a “Fearless” tattoo. Pagdanganan has the word inked on her left wrist while Fassi’s is hidden away on her foot.

“It’s just how I approach the game I guess,” Pagdanganan said of the tattoo.

Pagdanganan shows her “Fearless” tattoo. (Golfweek)

All three players are searching for their first win on the LPGA and Pagdanganan is making her U.S. Women’s Open debut. The Filipino tied for ninth in her first major championship – the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink.

Pagdanganan said she gets to rip driver pretty much everywhere on both the Cypress and Jackrabbit courses. The USGA was forced to use both of Champions’ courses to accommodate a field of 156 players with limited daylight hours. LPGA setups often force all three players to keep driver in the bag, so Champions Golf Club presents a real treat to the big-hitters.

The more low-key Pagdanganan said she won’t try to force anything when it comes to being the longest in the group.

“It’s just a label,” said Pagdanganan of being No. 1 in driving distance on tour. “It’s not everything, but it’s pretty cool.”

Pagdanganan can’t really explain where she gets her power, but driver is her favorite club in the bag. Her coach at Arizona, Laura Ianello, points to “insanely” fast hips and use of the ground as key to her power.

Ann van Dam is a seven-time winner on the Ladies European Tour and has what many consider to be one of the finest swings in all of golf. The 5-foot-11-inch Dutch player paired with Anna Nordqvist and Suzann Pettersen at last year’s Solheim Cup. Last year in Phoenix, Dame Laura Davies called van Dam the longest woman she’d ever played alongside.

“She has the fastest hip rotation speed that I’ve ever measured on a system,” said van Dam’s instructor David Dickmeiss.

The Bermuda rough isn’t exceptionally penal at Champions because it’s December. Texan Angela Stanford, who won last week in Dallas, said these are the tightest fairways she’s ever seen, and that hitting in the rough actually isn’t such a bad thing this week. Even if there’s grass behind the ball, she said, it’s not as thick and healthy. Her aim is to get it out there as far as possible on every hole.

Maria Fassi, Wonder Woman
Maria Fassi with her Wonder Woman golf bag.

“I don’t think I’ve ever hit this many drivers on a golf course as a pro,” said a fired-up Fassi, whose golf bag is emblazoned with a Wonder Woman logo this week. Fassi felt she connected with the inspirational female superhero during a quarantine spent watching movies.

Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes said Fassi’s swing speed can get up to 113 mph but she has the most control at 106 to 108 mph. At the SEC Championship, the explosive player once hit driver, 8-iron on the final hole, a 478-yard par 5. Estes has lost track of the number of 370-yard holes where Fassi was left with nothing more than a chip into the green.

Stories about this trio can go on for days.

“It’s going to be fun,” said a grinning van Dam. “Too bad people can’t come out and watch.”

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Ally McDonald leads while Danielle Kang, Bianca Pagdanganan and Mel Reid chase at LPGA Drive On

McDonald, a newlywed who turns 28 on Sunday, looks to join the likes of Mel Reid and Sophia Popov as first-time winners this year.

At the LPGA Drive On Championship, where the tour’s grow-the-game initiatives are at the forefront, junior reporter Ophelia Bunuel of Miami stepped up to the mic and asked rookie Bianca Pagdanganan if she’d ever competed on a course she liked so much that went she back for vacation.

A solid question, especially given all the enviable lake views that the Great Waters Course has to offer. Lake Oconee comes into play on nine of the last 10 holes, and Pagdanganan said she was so enamored by the setting during a practice round that she stopped on every green and took a picture as the sun dipped down toward the water.

Pagdanganan has plenty of reasons to soak things in these days. After playing her way into her first major – the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – and then posting back-to-back 65s to tie for ninth, the recent Arizona grad finds herself once again in contention in Greensboro, Georgia.

A second-round 67 puts Pagdanganan in a share of second with Danielle Kang at 9 under, one shot behind leader Ally McDonald.

“I feel really relaxed out there,” said Pagdanganan.

LPGA Drive-On: Leaderboard

McDonald, a newlywed who turns 28 on Sunday, looks to join the likes of Mel Reid and Sophia Popov as first-time winners this year. Her parents drove in from Mississippi to watch her play and brought a cake with them. They’re prepared to celebrate regardless of what unfolds in the coming days.

“I have a sweet tooth, which is not good since I’m a Type I diabetic,” said McDonald. “I’ll probably only have a small piece and share with a lot of people.”

Reid continued her great momentum with a second-round 68 and sits three shots back in a share of fifth with Pernilla Lindberg. The Englishwoman wasn’t asked about coming back for vacation but instead brought it up on her own.

“It’s honestly a pleasant surprise,” said Reid of the sprawling property that includes six courses. “I haven’t been in this area ever. It’s somewhere I would come back … even for like a couple-day vacation. It’s just cool to see the bay with all the boats. Obviously, we don’t have spectators, but we feel like we do.”

LPGA commissioner Mike Whan worked as an on-course commentator in Reid’s group on Thursday, and she took the opportunity to give him a hard time about the fine she received for celebrating her ShopRite victory in an empty restaurant – apart from her caddie and partner.

“I was quite pleased with myself with that one,” she said of the friendly jabs.

Overall though, she gave him top marks on the day.

Former No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn started off bogey/double-bogey on Friday but managed to turn it around for a 69. The two-time major winner hasn’t won since 2018.

“To be honest, after first two holes I feel like (making) cut going to be good enough for me this week,” she said.

Now she’s only two off the lead.

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Bianca Pagdanganan cards second consecutive 65 at KPMG to contend in major debut

On Saturday, Pagdanganan posted another flawless 65 to jump into the top five, four shots back of leader Sei Young Kim.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. ­­­– After Bianca Pagdanganan opened with a 77 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, her father Sam picked her up at Aronimink Golf Club and said, “Welcome to the majors.”

Pagdanganan had four-putted her way to a triple-bogey on her third hole and never really recovered. Later that day she got an email from tournament officials saying that those who made the cut could have two guests come out to the course over the weekend. Prior to that, only instructors were allowed.

Pagdanganan wasn’t about to let her first major go by without her dad watching her hit a shot.

“That was my motivation,” she said of the second-round 65 that vaulted her up the board.

SCORES: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

On Saturday, in front of her father and an aunt who lives nearby in New Jersey, Pagdanganan posted another flawless 65 to jump into the top five, four shots back of leader Sei Young Kim. She hasn’t dropped a shot on the demanding Donald Ross design since Thursday.

“I didn’t even expect to get into the KPMG until someone told me I was second alternate after the event in Portland,” she said. “I was like, I’m gonna get into a major? Really?”

With the 12-hour time difference, Pagdanganan’s family in the Philippines has to stay up all night to catch the action live. They’ve been blowing up her phone with messages. This is only her fifth start in an LPGA event as a pro and sixth start overall. The Arizona grad didn’t qualify for last week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic, which had a smaller field. Instead, she went to Ping and had something special inscribed on one of her wedges.

Pagdanganan’s paternal grandmother, Corazon, died on September 22, the same day she found out she had gotten into the KPMG. Her mother, Bing, celebrated a birthday that day, too. Corazon loved to make Bianca’s favorite dishes when she was home in the Philippines.

Sam and his sister, Niña, weren’t able to travel back to the Philippines because of COVID-19. Six of Corazon’s seven children, in fact, were in the U.S. when she died, and they mourned together over video calls.

Corazon was 87 and died peacefully of natural causes.

Sam cried when he saw his mother’s name etched on Bianca’s 60-degree wedge. Corazon translates to “heart” in Spanish.

Bianca Pagdanganan’s wedges, with her grandmother’s name, Corazon, etched on the 60-degree. (Photo courtesy of Niña Pagdanganan)

Before Bianca’s second round, her father told her that the problem wasn’t her swing or mechanics. She’d simply let the magnitude of the moment get to her.

“Don’t try too hard,” he said. “The solution is to think better.”

There are a host of big name-players on the board at Aronimink, but 2020 has made life impossible to predict.

A woman who didn’t have any LPGA status at all won the year’s first major. Why couldn’t Pagdanganan, who is ranked 712th in the world, win in her major debut?

Pagdanganan, who helped Arizona win the NCAA Championship in 2018, is currently the longest player on tour with an average driving distance of 287 yards. That length has been key this week, but where she’s really made tremendous strides of late is on the putting green, thanks in part to COVID-19 quarantine in San Diego. She credited a putting aid called Blast Golf for helping with the tempo of her stroke.

“It says that the ideal ratio of your putting stroke should be two to one,” she said, “so your back-stroke should take twice as much as your follow-through.”

The feel player, however, tries not to overthink things too much. At this point, it’s all about trusting the game that has brought her within striking distance on Sunday at a major.

“I just tell myself that there’s a reason why you’re here and you’re good enough to be out here,” said Pagdanganan. “Just don’t try to do anything spectacular. Just enjoy and play your game.”

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Sei Young Kim leads by two at Women’s PGA, with a trio of major winners on her heels

The petite South Korean with an aggressive game leads the third major of the season by two strokes after a third-round 67.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Sei Young Kim came into the flash area of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship wearing a broad smile. She’d bogeyed the 18th hole, but you sure couldn’t tell it.

The petite South Korean with an aggressive game leads the third major of the season by two strokes after a third-round 67. Her 7-under total puts her two strokes ahead of Anna Nordqvist and Brooke Henderson, both past champions of this event.

A 10-time winner on the LPGA, Kim took home a $1.5 million check at the season-ending event in Naples, Florida, last November. It was the largest payday in LPGA history. No, she hasn’t yet splurged on anything. And while that victory was certainly momentous, it wasn’t a major.

That’s the next step in Kim’s decorated career, one that surely feels even more pressing given the number of South Koreans who have won majors in recent years. No one on tour is more overdue for a major than Kim.

“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous,” she said through an interpreter, “but I’m also excited about going into the final day. I just want to take each shot at a time and just keep focus, and the results will follow.”

SCORES: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Henderson’s 65 matched rookie Bianca Pagdanganan’s effort as the best round of the day. The 23-year-old Henderson won the Women’s PGA at Sahalee four years ago in a playoff against Lydia Ko. She has won at least once each season on the LPGA since 2015 and looks to keep that streak alive this week.

Henderson, who lost in a playoff last month at the ANA Inspiration to Mirim Lee, finished in the top six at the KPMG Women’s PGA in her first four appearances at the event. She described the victory at Sahalee as life-changing.

“Eighteen years old and it was only my second win on tour,” she said, “so it was really a huge highlight for me and still is. Just sometimes it’s hard to believe that I’m a major champion, but definitely in times like this it gives me a little bit of confidence, and I’m excited to try to do it again tomorrow.”

The final group of Kim, Nordqvist and Henderson tees off at 8:49 a.m. ET due to a 2 p.m. finish on NBC. What’s even rarer about Sunday’s tee times at the KPMG is that six groups will go off after the leaders – three on each side.

Kim said she’ll make sure to have her hand warmers ready.

Sei Young Kim of Korea plays a shot on the tenth hole during the third round of the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on October 10, 2020, in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Lurking three shots back of Kim is LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park, who carded a 66. Park looks to become only the second player in history to win four Women’s PGA titles, joining Mickey Wright (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963). Park won this championship three years in a row from 2013 to 2015.

Going into Saturday’s round, Park thought that anything within four of the lead would have a good chance on Sunday. Only 10 players are under par after three rounds.

“The course is getting firmer and faster,” she said, “so it’s getting tougher, and there are a lot of pins that we can’t go at. … It’s great fun.”

Sunday’s forecast, however, does call for rain.

Pagdanganan, playing in her first major championship, carded a second consecutive 65 to vault into solo fifth. The LPGA rookie helped Arizona win the 2018 NCAA Championship and made her first start to the 2020 season after the tour’s 166-day break. She tied for 28th in July at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness, which like Aronimink is a Donald Ross design. The KPMG marks her fifth LPGA start as a pro. She’s currently ranked 712th in the world. Sophia Popov was 304th when she won the AIG Women’s British Open in August at Royal Troon.

“It’s just overwhelming the support that I’m receiving,” said Pagdanganan of the number of messages she has received from the Philippines.

Imagine what Sunday might bring.

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Meet the LPGA’s newest power player, Bianca Pagdanganan, who leads in driving distance

A rookie currently leads the LPGA in driving distance. Unlike Bryson DeChambeau, Bianca Pagdanganan didn’t seek out extra yardage.

A rookie currently leads the LPGA in driving distance with a 287.462 average. Unlike Bryson DeChambeau, Bianca Pagdanganan didn’t seek out extra yardage. In fact, she can’t really even explain where her power comes from.

Her mantra, repeated throughout a recent phone conversation, is “I try not to force anything.”

Pagdanganan’s coach at Arizona, Laura Ianello, points to “insanely” fast hips and use of the ground as key to her power. She’s 4 yards longer than Maria Fassi on the LPGA stats list and 5 yards ahead of Anne van Dam.

Pagdanganan – who for the record isn’t really a fan of protein shakes – consistently carried the ball 275 yards in college, but really doesn’t keep track of how far she’s hitting it now. LPGA courses often force her to keep driver in the bag. Pagdanganan carries her 3-wood 245 yards.

Like a Major League pitcher with the God-given gift of a fastball, Ianello marvels at Pagdanganan’s rare talent. It’s why they called her “the unicorn” in college.

“(Bianca) is eventually going to make a ton of money on the LPGA once she can dial in those numbers with her short irons,” said Ianello.

Not to mention her length advantage on the par 5s. At the Marathon Classic in August, Pagdanganan made back-to-back eagles on the closing par 5s in the second round to shoot 67.

The 22-year-old, who carded an NCAA record-tying 61 in college and helped the Wildcats win the 2018 NCAA Championship, has teed it up in four tournaments so far on the LPGA and made the cut each time, her best finish coming at the Drive On Championship at Inverness where she tied for 28th. She’s got a good chance of making it into next month’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Bianca Pagdanganan (Photo submitted)

Pagdanganan gets excited each time she checks the pairings at an event to see who she’ll get to meet the next day. She particularly enjoyed recent rounds in Portland alongside Mo Martin and Sarah Kemp, commenting on their kindness and taking notes on the meticulousness of their pre-shot routines.

The petite Martin plays a game that is foreign to the long-hitting Pagdanganan, but the rookie is wise enough to understand how much she can still learn.

“You just start to realize that there are other parts of your game that you need to polish,” she said.

While still in college, Pagdanganan played alongside long-hitting Angel Yin in the first two rounds of the Marathon Classic and routinely outdrove her 10 to 20 yards, said Ianello, who was on the bag that week. It was clear then that Pagdanganan would be among the longest – if not the longest – on tour.

The biggest takeaway, however, came when she played alongside a very pregnant Stacy Lewis in Toledo and was outdriving the former No. 1 by more than 50 yards. Lewis shot 6 under that day, and Pagdanganan finished even par.

Pagdanganan is not a technical player. Driver is her favorite club in the bag and late in high school, she started to gain distance. It wasn’t until college, when people started to comment on her length, that she began to take note.

She asked her coach in the Philippines how she should respond to questions about her length.

“I literally just try to hit it as hard as I can and it goes far,” she said. “I guess the reason, they say, is the lag in my swing.”

Two-time LPGA winner Jennifer Rosales was Pagdanganan’s idol growing up, and she’d often see her giving lessons at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Manila.

Ianello says Pagdanganan, a humble player who is now living her childhood dream on the LPGA, wants to put the Philippines on the map. There was never a lazy day for her back in Tucson. The inner drive was obvious.

Bianca Pagdanganan hits into a net while stuck at home.

Because of her father’s heart condition, Ianello said, Pagdanganan sat tight in San Diego during the LPGA’s extended break, choosing to quarantine rather than get out and play in mini-tour events. She was perfectly content with that decision, knowing that her game would keep until her rookie season could reboot.

“That alone right there shows you the lack of ego that she has,” said Ianello.

Her father bought a Swing Caddie and net for the backyard in San Diego so that she could work on her distances. No drivers though.

“I don’t want to scare the neighbors,” she said with a laugh.

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Fassi, Pagdanganan, Stackhouse and others could qualify for AIG Women’s British

There are 10 spots available for Royal Troon. The top 10 players not otherwise qualified will punch their tickets.

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Back-to-back eagles from Bianca Pagdanganan on Friday vaulted her up the leaderboard at the Marathon LPGA Championship and put her squarely in position to qualify for the year’s first major, the newly renamed AIG Women’s Open (formerly known as the Women’s British) Aug. 20-23 at Royal Troon.

The last two holes at Highland Meadows Golf Club are par 5s and the long-hitting Pagdanganan made 10-foot eagle putts on both holes to card a 67 and vault into the top 10. (Pagdanganan started her round on the 10th hole.)

“That’s so cool,” said the Arizona grad, who is making her second start as an LPGA rookie. “That’s also the first time it’s ever happened to me, back to back eagle. I was like, Oh, that’s pretty rare. Of course, I just like had to keep my cool throughout the round. Couldn’t just let that take over. I was able to calm myself down and just hold on to that.”

There are 10 spots available for Royal Troon. The top 10 players not otherwise qualified will punch their tickets. On Saturday, Mariah Stackhouse put herself in strong position after posting an early 65.

In the case of a tie, there are a series of tiebreakers in place to determine the final qualifier. Any unused spots will be allocated at the next week’s qualifier at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

Because there are no local qualifiers taking place this year for the Women’s Open due to COVID-19, the number of spots available out of Marathon has doubled from five to 10.

The qualifying leaderboard through two rounds of the Marathon LPGA Classic

  • Maria Fassi, 1, 133
  • Bianca Pagdanganan, T2, 136
  • Sophia Popov, T2, 136
  • Matilda Castren, T4, 137
  • Paula Reto, T4, 137
  • Patty Tavatanakit, T4, 137
  • Lindy Duncan, T7, 138
  • Andrea Lee, T7, 138
  • Elizabeth Szokol, T7, 138
  • Emma Talley, T7, 138
  • Kelly Tan, T7, 138