Bianca Pagdanganan upbeat despite pro debut delay

MANILA, Philippines — She toiled in relative anonymity after hurdling the LPGA Q-Series last November, gradually attaining a degree of readiness for a dream debut in the world’s premier ladies pro golf circuit in Hawaii this April.

But that took a backseat due to the COVID-19 pandemic although the postponement only makes Bianca Pagdanganan hungrier, vowing to work on the positives that the delay brings to further hone her craft and make her A-ready when she finally launches her first drive as a pro.

“I could say that it made me hungrier since I haven’t played any events yet. And yes, it’s a little frustrating since I was really excited to start my rookie year on tour,” the US-based Pagdanganan, the latest Filipina to join the LPGA Tour with a tied for 38th finish in the grueling eight-round qualifier late last year, told The STAR.

The LPGA has actually staged a number of tournaments early in the season, including two in Australia where Dottie Ardina and Yuka Saso competed, before the outbreak although Pagdanganan was only set to see action first in the Lotte Championship in Hawaii, supposedly set to start on April 15 but which was postponed, along with five other events, in the face of the continued impact of the global virus.

Aware of the effect of the pandemic, the 22-year-old University of Arizona product has been doing her share to help curb the spread of the virus by staying at home while joining in the cause for the healthcare workers who put their lives at risk to serve and care for the people and exhorting others to help.

“Actually, I have a lot of things going on in my head. Admittedly, it’s a bit nerve-wracking but I try to ground myself and focus on what I can do – not leaving the house, practicing social distancing at home, constantly checking on family and friends back in the Philippines and donating to fund-raising initiatives that directly help our frontliners,” said Pagdanganan. “These are hard times for everyone and I think it's good to remember that even small acts of kindness go a long way. If you can help make someone's day a little better, go do it.”

Like the rest of the players, she can't wait to get going.

“Once this is all over, I’ll be heading out to the range and course to practice because I miss hitting off of grass. I am also hoping to play tournaments as soon as possible. I’ll probably look for mini tour events to get back into the competition mindset and then fix my schedule to see which LPGA or Symetra Tour events I can play right away,” she said.

So primed up was the 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist for the LPGA Tour that she capped her amateur career with a double-gold medal feat in the SEA Games back at home last December.

“The Lotte Championship would’ve been my first LPGA tournament. But I don’t think I ever really stopped playing since that short break right after the Q-School,” she said.

“I started preparing in January by playing to qualify in other LPGA events, which my dad and I thought would be a good way to likewise prepare myself mentally for the season,” added Pagdanganan, who played in Florida, Australia and Hawaii since the start of the year as part of her buildup.

“With this being my rookie year, I originally planned on playing all events I could get into and playing Monday qualifiers as well to maximize the season,” she said.

Though the crisis’ uncertainty could be unsettling, Pagdanganan, who also won the Philippine Ladies Open in record fashion at Wack Wack in 2017, believes the world will all get through this together even as she hopes to emerge a better, stronger player during the long break.

“Now that I have more time on my hands, I’ll just use it to make myself physically and mentally stronger so that I’ll be prepared when season starts once again,” said the US-based Pagdanganan.

Meantime, she’s making the most of their space and materials to keep her swinging during the lull.

“I know how important it is nowadays to stay at home, so I can’t really go out and play. But I’ve been focusing a lot on strength and conditioning. I’ve been working out here at home so I can stay in shape even while waiting for season to start. It also helps that we have a makeshift range setup here with a mat and swing caddy so I can still hit and practice my swing,” she said.