Filipina golf star Bianca Pagdanganan made her presence felt at the FM Championship in Massachusetts, opening with a 3-under-par 69 highlighted by a blistering stretch of four straight birdies from holes 12 to 15.
The 26-year-old’s trademark power was again on display, averaging a jaw-dropping 310 yards off the tee, reaffirming her status as the LPGA Tour’s longest hitter. While a couple of bogeys slowed her down, Pagdanganan’s birdie surge and sharp putting kept her in red figures, giving her a solid start as she aims to stay in contention through the weekend.
Meanwhile, compatriot Allisen Corpuz delivered one of the rounds of the day. The reigning US Women’s Open champion fired a sizzling 7-under 65 at TPC Boston to seize a share of the first-round lead with South Korea’s Sei Young Kim and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff. Corpuz closed strong with four birdies in her last six holes, including a clutch 10-footer at the par-4 ninth.
“Even if it hasn’t been the results that I wanted to see, it’s just felt really, really close all season,” Corpuz said. “Kind of just feel like things are starting to turn the corner a bit.”
Shadoff matched Corpuz’s late fireworks with four straight birdies of her own, while Kim stayed steady to keep pace. World No. 2 Nelly Korda also made noise with a new blade putter in the bag, carding seven birdies for a 67 to sit just two shots back.
The LPGA’s remarkable streak of 22 different winners in 22 events this season remains alive, and with both Pagdanganan and Corpuz in the mix alongside the game’s biggest names, fans can expect more fireworks as the week unfolds at TPC Boston.