BIANCA Pagdanganan will be pinning to break out of a prolonged slump when she tees off today (Thursday in the US) in the FM Championship at the TPC Boston course in Norton, Massachusetts.
A six-year US LPGA tour veteran, Pagdanganan, 27, continues to grope for form that once made her a formidable amateur player, with a team gold in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and a golden double in the 33rd Philippine Southeast Asian Games four years ago to her credit.
The power-hitting pro got cut again at the CPKC Women’s Open last week in Mississauga, Canada, so is keen on looking for a breakthrough over the par-72, 6,533-yard course in the $4.1 million four-day tourney offering a top prize of $615,000 (about P35.081 million) to the winner.
She needs to be disciplined and focused if she aspires to be in contention until the final day against a stellar cast that includes seven of the top 10 players in the Rolex women’s world rating in the competition offering the largest purse outside women’s golf’s five majors.
They are led by Thai No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and American No. 2 Nelly Korda.
Also in the field are five major champions: Japan’s Maigo Saigo (Chevron) and Miyu Yamashita (Women’s British Open), Sweden’s Maja Stark (US Women’s Open), Australia’s Minjee Lee (Women’s PGA) and Grace Kim (Evian).
