BRYAN, Texas–After a tremendous showing during Thursday’s opening round, freshman Bianca Pagdanganan of the Gonzaga women’s golf team leads the NCAA Regional in Bryan, Texas by a stroke.
Pagdanganan fired a 5-under-par 67 during the first round, tied for the third-lowest round in program history. She caught fire early in her loop of Traditions Golf Club, carding five birdies in the first eight holes, including three in a row on Nos. 6, 7, and 8. After parring holes Nos. 9 and 10, she added another birdie on the par-3 11th to reach six-under for the round. A bogey on the par-4 13th was her only blemish on the day as she parred her final five holes to for her lowest round as a Bulldog.
“Just a fantastic round in every aspect,” said Gonzaga head coach Brad Rickel. “She hit her spots in the fairway and played smart off the tee as well. She had great distance control into the greens and just kept giving herself good looks at birdie, in addition to a couple of great sand saves as well. Bianca had some good speed on the greens and made some good mid-range putts.”
Ranked No. 83 in the nation by GolfStat, Pagdanganan holes a one-stroke lead on Miami’s Daniela Darquea, who’s in second at 4-under-par 68. Four players are two strokes shy of the freshman in a tie for third at 3-under 69.
A Quezon City, Philippines native, Pagdanganan is now the fourth Zag all-time to shoot 67 or better. While the 5-under 67 is tied for the third-lowest score in program history, it’s just one off the program record of score in relation to par, which junior Ciera Min set at six under to win the WCC Championships in April.
At the end of the three-round tournament, the top six teams and top three individuals not on an advancing team will receive berths to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., later this month. Georgia and Arizona currently lead the team standings while the top three individuals would come from the top three spots on the player leaderboard.
“We’re really happy for this kind of start. We will just need to stay focused tomorrow and continue to play smart and have fun,” said Rickel.
Pagdanganan will continue her quest for an NCAA Championships berth on Friday, May 6, during the Regional’s second round. That will begin at 6:50 a.m. Pacific (8:50 Central), again off the Traditions Golf Club’s first tee.
