The Philippines’ Olympians showed they still have the fire from Paris. But they will have to get it burning well into the weekend.
After strong, steady starts on Thursday, Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina are poised to make the cut in the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts.
Pagdanganan, who finished joint fourth in the Games, fired a one-under-par 71 for a share of 17th place, three strokes behind leader Marina Alex of the United States.
The 26-year-old Pagdanganan birdied Nos. 2, 9, 11 and 12 but struggled with bogeys on the third, sixth and 15th.
She hit 12 of 14 fairways and landed on the green in regulations 12 times.
Cut in her previous two tournaments in the LPGA, Pagdanganan leaned on her booming drives, averaging 265 yards.
Ardina, 30, signed a one-over-par 73 with birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 10 and 17. But she bogeyed eighth, 15th and 18th. She will enter the second round tied for 45th.
Alex played bogey-free for a four-under 68, giving her a one-shot lead.
Former US Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz and Lauren Coughlin, playing for the American team in the Solheim Cup in the next two weeks, formed a big group at 69.
Down the line, US wildcards Lexi Thompson and Sarah Schmelzel, along with local bet Megan Khang, were at 70.
“It was tough for a lot of us on some of those waves,” Alex said in an interview.
“I just felt like I wasn’t going to play a good round of golf again, if I’m being honest. It was really good to see some good golf today. It was a break to not play in 30 mph winds. Just to be able to see yourself hit a shot and go where you’re intending is nice.”
Coughlin also was at four under but bogeyed the par-5 18th hole. Her third shot went over a creek and landed on the edges of the green.
Rose Zhang came up with just one birdie and Jennifer Kupcho stumbled with two bogeys on par 5s. Both made 75.