MANILA, Philippines – Bianca Pagdanganan played out of sync all day and faced another abbreviated stint in an LPGA Tour event, limping with a four-over 76 at the start of the JTBC Classic expectedly paced by World No. 1 Jin Young Ko in Carlsbad, California Thursday (Friday, Manula time).
The Pinay power-hitter had looked forward to dishing out a big round on an early tee-start but two bogeys snapped a run of backside pars at the Aviara Golf Club and it turned worse at the front that saw her drop another stroke on the first hole and hole out with a double-bogey on the par-4 No. 4.
She did birdied No. 8 but her pair of 38s put sent her to the brink of early elimination at joint 124th in a field of 144, some five strokes off the projected cutoff score and 11 shots behind the fancied Ko.
Coming off a long break, the ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan wrestled with her driver, settling for a 238-yard driving norm, around 40 yards less than her regular distance, and hitting just six fairways. She also went out of regulation six times and ended up with 34 putts.
In stark contrast, Ko played true to form, putting together a solid seven-under 65 to wrest a one-stroke lead over Dane Nanna Madsen, who spiked her 66 with an eagle on the par-5 No. 8.
Ko’s 67 thus extended her streak of rounds under-par to 31 and she has now a Tour record of 16 consecutive rounds in the 60s.
But three others turned in identical 67s, including American Cheyenne Knight, Scot Gemma Dryburgh and Korea Hye Jin Choi, while five, led by Lydia Ko, carded 68s and 16 others, including Thai Atthaya Thitikul and Danielle Kang of the US, posted 69s.
That guarantees a spirited chase in the next three days of the $1.5 championship serving as tune-up for the Tour’s first major, the $5 million Chevron Championship, set at Rancho Mirage, also in California next week.
Pagdanganan failed to make the grade in her first LPGA event in the season in Gainbridge LPGA and groped to finish tied at 41st in the Drive On Championship last month.
Meanwhile, Dottie Ardina and ICTSI teammate Pauline del Rosario along with Fil-Am Clariss Guce kick off their campaign in the IOA Championship of the Epson Tour at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Beaumont, California Friday.