Bianca, Dottie struggle early

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The partnership between Filipino Olympians Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina is off to an ice-cold start as they posted a six-over-par 78 in the opening round of the LPGA Great Lakes Bay Invitational.

Pagdanganan and Ardina, who will represent the country in the Paris Olympics in August, struggled in the alternate shot format as they failed to score a single birdie while posting two bogeys and a pair of double bogeys.

Aside from Pagdanganan and Ardina, the powerhouse duo of Yuka Saso and Celine Boutier are also in danger of missing the cut after a 76.

Meanwhile, China’s Yin Ruoning and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul birdied five of the last seven holes to grab a share of the lead.

They matched Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen and Jaravee Boonchant and Americans Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho on six-under 64 after the first round of the pairs event at Michigan’s Midland Country Club.

Teams will play alternate shot in the first and third rounds and four-ball in the second and fourth rounds in the $3 million event. A field of 72 pairs will be cut to low 33 and ties after 36 holes.

Yin and Atthaya birdied the par-3 seventh and began the back nine with a birdie before reeling off their sizzling finish despite their lone bogey at the 15th.

Jaravee and Chanettee had a bogey-free opening round while the US pair answered an opening bogey with a birdie at the second and an eagle at the par-5 third then added birdies at six, the par-5 11th, 12 and 18.

One stroke off the pace at five-under 65 were Americans Annie Park and Jennifer Chang and Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling and Cheng Su-chia.