Ardina, Pagdanganan prime up for Olympics, vie in Canadian Open

MANILA, Philippines – Dottie Ardina’s Olympic preparation received a significant psychological boost as she clinched a spot in the prestigious CPKC Women’s Open, which begins Thursday at the Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Friday Manila time).

This top-level event, featuring a prize pool of $2.6 million, serves as a key platform for medal hopefuls gearing up for the Paris Olympics next week.

The CPKC Open boasts a star-studded roster, including Olympic-bound Denmark’s Emily Pedersen, Taiwan’s Peiyun Chien, local favorite Brooke Henderson, China’s Xiyu Lin, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, Australia’s Hannah Green and American Rose Zhang.

With such a competitive field, the championship promises to be a thrilling prelude to the grand, elaborate rites of the Quadrennial Games in the City of Light.

Ardina is set to tee off at 8:50 a.m. on the first hole, playing alongside Isabelle Fierro and Lauren Hartlage.

Joining Ardina in the 72-hole championship is ICTSI teammate Bianca Pagdanganan, who is also eager to fine-tune her game ahead of the Olympics.

The power-hitting Pagdanganan will start at 7:37 a.m. on No. 10 with Amanda Doherty and Hyo Joo Jang.

Ardina recently bolstered her Olympic bid with an impressive final round 66, securing a joint seventh-place finish at the Dana Open in Ohio last week.

Although she was initially entered in next week’s Portland Classic, Ardina has opted to withdraw to give herself much-needed rest and focus ahead of her debut in the Olympic women’s golf competition, scheduled for August 7-10 at Le Golf National.

Meanwhile, Pagdanganan has been diligently honing her skills over the past few weeks, aiming to deliver a stronger performance in the Olympics following her 43rd place finish at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Her determination and preparation underscore the high stakes and intense competition that lie ahead as both she and Ardina strive for Olympic glory.