Bianca fires 70; Iwai ahead

Filipina golf star Bianca Pagdanganan opened her campaign at the CPKC Women’s Open with a one-under-par 70 on Thursday at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Ontario, setting herself up nicely in one of the LPGA Tour’s toughest fields.

The 26-year-old power hitter rolled in three birdies against two bogeys, leaning on her trademark length off the tee. She averaged 266 yards in driving distance, ranked among the day’s longest, and hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation, though she needed 32 putts to navigate the quick greens.

Pagdanganan has been working to balance her power with consistency this season, sharpening her approach play and short game.

The CPKC Women’s Open, widely regarded as Canada’s national championship, is one of the oldest and most prestigious stops on the LPGA Tour, boasting a $2.6 million purse and a field stacked with world-class talent.

Defending champion Megan Khang, Canadian star Brooke Henderson, and former winners Jin Young Ko and Lydia Ko headline the marquee event, which has historically drawn massive crowds.

While Pagdanganan’s round was solid, the spotlight on opening day belonged to Japan’s Akie Iwai. Just four days after earning her first LPGA title in Portland, Iwai blistered the course with seven birdies in a bogey-free seven-under 65 to grab a two-shot lead.

Starting on the back nine, she caught fire late with four birdies in her last six holes, including a closing stretch that cemented her place at the top.

“I won last week, but already it’s in the past,” Iwai said. “I changed the mindset — this week is a new focus.”

Nipping at her heels is 15-year-old Canadian amateur Aphrodite Deng, who electrified the home crowd with a five-under 66. Deng, who won the US Girls’ Junior Championship just last month, showed remarkable poise on the big stage, opening with back-to-back birdies and finishing strong with birdies at 17 and 18.

“It’s really cool,” she said of putting herself in contention in her national open. “Definitely something I dreamed about.”

Also tied for second were world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Ireland’s Leona Maguire, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, and defending champion Megan Khang, all carding 66s.

Jeeno, back at No. 1 after overtaking Nelly Korda this month, shrugged off the pressure with a scorching back nine, reeling off five birdies in her last seven holes.

“I think on the back nine the pins were easier to attack,” she said. “That gave me the chance to hole the putts.”

For Pagdanganan, it was a round that might not have made headlines but was steady enough to keep her in the mix heading into Friday.

With a stacked leaderboard and big names already jostling for position, she will need to keep building momentum if she hopes to break through in Canada’s premier golf championship.