Family boosts Pagdanganan in Olympic golf comeback

MANILA, Philippines – The presence of her family helped Filipina golfer Bianca Pagdanganan fight off unpredictable winds and a big crowd to claw to within a few shots of the medal places after two rounds of Olympic golf in Paris.

After a 72 first round, the two-time Olympian fired a 69 in the women’s individual stroke play on Thursday to bring her to 161 heading into the final two rounds. 

This put her tied at sixth place and two strokes away from the third spot. 

After Thursday’s play, Pagdanganan said that her family’s presence indeed boosted her as she goes into deep waters in the last two days of competition. 

“It helps my family’s out here to support me. It feels really good. I think I mentioned this yesterday but they weren’t really able to come out in Tokyo so being able to share this experience with them really means a lot to me,” she said.

“I feel very blessed and honored to have them as my support system,” she added. 

Pagdanganan said that aside from her family, it also helped calm her nerves to know that she will be able to fend off the challenges that the course brought. 

“I think I was also a little bit more nervous with how tough the course was going to be but you know after yesterday’s round, and kinda realizing that I can handle the challenge that the course brought, I think that helped calm my nerves a little bit.” 

Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux is leading with an eight-under par 136 through two. 

China’s Ruoning Yin is a stroke behind and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is at 139 to take third place. 

Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe and Slovenia’s Pia Babnik are tied at fourth place with 140.

Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, France’s Celine Boutier, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai and China’s Xiyu Janet Lin are all tied with Pagdanganan. 

Meanwhile, fellow Filipina Dottie Ardina is currently tied in the 36th place with a 148. 

Pagdanganan, for her part, is relishing the opportunity to representthe Philippines in the Olympics. 

“When I compete in the LPGA, I just feel like it’s just me. I still represent the Philippines, I still have the flag, but it’s different. For the Olympics, basically you’re chosen to represent and I feel like it’s a big responsibility but it’s also a huge honor and it’s not an opportunity that everyone is able to have,” she stressed. 

“This experience, I just try to embrace it. Kinda live in the moment because like I said, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal.” 

Pagdanganan will tee off late in the day on Friday.