Pagdanganan hugs LPGA challenge

MANILA, Philippines — She’s got the power and the nerves but Bianca Pagdanganan admits there’s so much to learn, including dealing with anxiety and the adrenalin rush in pressure-packed settings.

“My nerves are okay… but just have to learn how to embrace it,” said Pagdanganan after launching her pro campaign with a joint 28th finish in the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio last Sunday.

It was not a kind of finish the power-hitting SEA Games double gold medalist had wished for. But while her long game clicked, clinching the driving honors in the 54-hole event, she struggled with her short game and putting.

“I wished I could’ve done better,” added Pagdanganan.