MANILA, Philippines – For all the marquee match-ups in the opener of the milestone 75th staging of the US Women’s Open, one particular grouping should merit more than just a second look.
And the organizing US Golf Association couldn’t have come up with an intriguing subplot to an unfolding epic edition of what has long been considered as women’s pro golf’s premier championship than to pit the LPGA Tour’s driving leaders.
As how Golfworld aptly put it: “Of the pairings for the 154-woman field, one sticks out: the bombers group.”
Rookie Bianca Pagdangangan, who leads it off the mound with a 284.7-yard norm, headlines the featured threesome that includes Dutch Anne Van Dam (281.8 yards) and Maria Fassi of Mexico (280.4 yards) at 11:10 a.m. on Thursday at the backside of the 6558-yard Jackrabbit course of the Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
Chances are these two @LPGA Tour pros outdrive you. ???? @MariaFassi0 and @BiancaPagda share how they became two of the longest hitters in the women's game. pic.twitter.com/uKxONA8hBl
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) December 9, 2020
The long-hitting group tackles the Cypress Creek, which measures up to 6731 yards, in the second round Friday, also at 11:10 a.m.
The ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan, 23, has said she wants to be the first player in Tour history to average over 300 yards during a tournament and she barely hit the mark with a 299.5-yard norm in the LPGA Drive One Championship at the Reynolds Lake Ocone in Georgia last October where she finished tied for 34th.
“Growing up, I just tried to hit it as hard as I could but actually I just talked to my coach and he was like, ‘honestly, if anything, you probably got your power with how fast you move your hips and how far your turn,’” Pagdanganan told Golf Diest in a recent interview.
Experts, however, note that the chilly December weather in Houston may slow down the bombers from setting distance records.
But it would take more than power for the troika to contend for the championship given a field teeming with talents, led by world No. 1 Jin Young Ko of Korea, who is paired with No. 4 Daniella Kang of the US and eight-time LPGA winner Anna Nordqvist of Sweden.
World No. 3 Nelly Korda will mix it up with No. 11 Lexi Thompson and No. 22 Heejeong Lim, while defending champion Jeongeun Lee6 will face off with last year’s US Women’s Amateur champion Gabriella Ruffels and Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, ranked No. 16 in the world.
Meanwhile, Yuka Saso, another certified power-hitter, hopes to make an impact in her maiden major LPGA Tour appearance she earned by dishing out an impressive campaign anchored on two victories in her rookie season in the LPGA of Japan Tour.
The 19-year-old Fil-Japanese is set to start at Cypress Creek at 11:32 a.m. with Korean Hee Young Park and top amateur Allisen Corpuz of the US.