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Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines plays a shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the Founders Cup presented by US Virgin Islands 2025 at the Bradenton Country Club on February 07, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida.
Julio Aguilar / Getty Images / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Bianca Pagdanganan kicked off her LPGA Tour season with a steady but subdued performance, carding an even-par 72 in the opening round of the Blue Bay tournament in Hainan Island, China, on Thursday and trailing a trio of leaders by four strokes while working to find her rhythm in the $2.5-million event.
Coming off an extended break, Pagdanganan showcased her trademark power off the tee but struggled with her approach shots and putting. She reached just 12 greens in regulation and needed 30 putts to navigate the Jian Lake Blue Bay course.
Starting on the back nine, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker parred her first five holes before picking up her first birdie on the 15th. However, a bogey-bogey-birdie stretch saw her making the turn at even-par 36. She dropped another shot on the 10th but bounced back with a birdie on the sixth, closing with three straight pars for another 36 on the front nine. Her performance placed her in a tie for 33rd.
Although not the strong start she had hoped for, Pagdanganan remains well within striking distance, just four shots behind co-leaders Ayaka Furue, A. Lim Kim and Auston Kim. She aims to sharpen her putting and regain confidence in the second round to secure a spot for the weekend rounds.
Pagdanganan didn't see action in the earlier tournaments of the LPGA season, including the Tournament of Champions, Founders Cup, Honda LPGA Thailand and the Women’s World Championship.
Meanwhile, Furue overcame a bogey on her opening hole with five birdies, including two back-to-back stretches, to post a 35-33 score. A. Lim Kim, the Tournament of Champions winner, had an up-and-down round but made an eagle on the par-5 third and closed strong with consecutive birdies for a 36-32 card. Auston Kim also played steadily, firing four birdies en route to a 34-34 round.
A tightly contested leaderboard features several players just one stroke behind the leaders, including Jeeno Thitikul, Gaby Lopez, Rio Takeda and Kristen Gillman, setting the stage for an exciting battle in the middle rounds.
