Pagdanganan, Ardina poised for strong starts at inaugural FM Championship

MANILA, Philippines – Fresh off impressive performances at the Paris Olympics, Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina are ready to make their mark at the resumption of the LPGA Tour as they compete in the inaugural FM Championship beginning Thursday (Friday Manila time) at the TPC Boston course in Norton, Massachusetts.

The $3.8-million tournament, marking its debut on the LPGA Tour, has attracted a field of 144 top players, all vying for one of the largest prize purses outside of the majors and tour championships.

Ardina, aiming for a strong start, has been grouped with Germany's Olivia Cowan and Sweden's Frida Kinhult, teeing off at 7 a.m. from the 10th hole of the 6,598-yard course. Meanwhile, Pagdanganan, who narrowly missed a medal in Paris with a tied for fourth finish, is set to play alongside Japan's Minami Katsu and America's Kaitlyn Budde at 7:48 a.m., also starting on the back nine.

Both Pagdanganan and Ardina delivered notable performances at the Olympics, with the former finishing just a stroke shy of a playoff for the bronze medal, and Ardina rallying for a share of 13th place with a birdie-birdie finish. These strong showings are expected to fuel their confidence as they return to the LPGA Tour.

But the competition will be fierce, with several top contenders also in the mix, including France's Celine Boutier, former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko of Korea, Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul, and Americans Megan Khang, Rose Zhang, and Allisen Corpuz. Other notable participants include Xiyu Lin of China, Japan's Nasa Hataoka and Australian Hannah Green.

Yuka Saso, a two-time US Women's Open champion, is also eager to bounce back from a series of lackluster performances, including a 54th-place finish in Paris.

Also backed by one of the world's leading port operators, the Filipino-Japanese will tee off at 7:59 a.m. with Khang and Green from the first hole.

Other featured groups include Hataoka, Thitikul, and Lexi Thompson, who will start at 7:59 a.m. from the 10th, and Zhang, Boutier, and Amy Yang, who will begin at 8:10 a.m. from the back nine. Sarah Schmeizel, Haeran Ryu, and Ashleigh Buhai will tee off at 12:59 p.m. from the 10th hole, followed by Grace Kim, Andrea Lee, and Corpuz at 1:10 p.m. Ko, Pano, and Alison Lee are set to start at 8:10 a.m. from the front nine.