DREAMING OF PARIS

As things stand, only Bianca Pagdanganan stands a chance of representing the Philippines to the Paris Olympics in July.

That’s because at 130th in the world ranking, the 26-year-old can expect to make the top 60 — the Paris cut-off — once countries with multiple players at the top of standings are whittled down.

Only four players per country are allowed in Paris, two for each gender.

Fil-American Rico Hoey’s aspirations will have to marinate a little while longer — exactly one full Olympic cycle.

While that of Pagdanganan needs major boosts.

The National Golf Association of the Philippines has appealed on behalf of Hoey whose declaration to play for the Philippines came two years too late.

NGAP secretary general Bones Floro said international federation rules state that renouncement of citizenship has to happen before the Olympic qualifying began.

The qualifying period for the Games started in 2022. Hoey, the Philippine-born, Rancho Cucamonga, California native, decided to don the country’s colors only late last year.

Hoey, 28, is World No. 145 and now plays in the PGA Tour as a Filipino.

“To be clear, it was Rico himself who wrote to the IGF (international golf federation) which was denied. He reached out to us to help him,” Floro said.

“We helped him and immediately we made an appeal, twice. But their rules were clear about the qualifications period. Not only Philippines had the same case and situation.”

Tabuena, Asian Tour No. 2 in order of merit, is 381st in the world ranking.

Pagdanganan, who is now competing in the LPGA, is currently No. 130 in the world and appears to have the strongest chance of making it.

The final Olympic qualifying cut off will be 17 June for men, and 24 June for women.

During the Tokyo Olympics, the country was able to qualify Pagdanganan, Juvic Pagunsan and Yuka Saso who has since renounced her citizenship in favor of her father’s home country Japan.