Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan broke par at the start of the Pelican Women’s Championship Friday but need to come up with low scores in succeeding rounds to contend for the title at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.
Saso, the 21-year-old Filipino-Japanese, missed eight greens but relied on her reliable short game to carve out a two-under-par 68.
The 25-year-old Pagdanganan, on the other hand, opened with a 69.
With the event reduced to 54 holes, both players need to do something spectacular in the second round to climb the leaderboard.
Allisen Corpuz, an American of Filipino descent, was in the mix with 65, just three shots off Maria Fassi.
Saso, priming up for the CMI Group Tour Championship next week, stands on a share of 23rd place after nailing four birdies against two bogeys, all from the bunkers.
She has had a pedestrian season after winning the US Women’s Open Championship.
Her best finish was a runner-up finish at the LPGA Mediheal Championship last October.
She has so far played 24 events, missing the cut seven times.
Currently ranked 32 in the world, Saso has so far earned $702,604 to bring her LPGA career earnings to $2,220,480.
Pagdanganan, on the other hand, stands on joint 40th despite not having played tournament golf for five weeks. She had four birdies against three bogeys.
She’s 130 in the CME rankings and would most likely go back to qualifying school to regain her LPGA Tour card. Only the top 100 get exemptions next season.
Pagdanganan has so far earned $102,899 in 17 starts, missing the cut 10 times.
Meanwhile, Fassi shot an eight under par round of 62 to take a two stroke lead.
The 24-year-old eagled the par-5 14th hole and then added her sixth birdie of her round on the penultimate hole as she completed an impressive bogey free round at the club in Belleair, Florida.
“To put a round like this together you got to have every aspect of your game in line. I really did,” she said.
“Putter was just impeccable today. Off the tee, I hit it probably good as I ever have. So it was a pretty good combination,” she added.
Fassi led from a quintet of players who shot six under — Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan, American Lexi Thompson, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, South Korean Kim Hyo-joo and German Isi Gabsa all shooting 64.
Floridian Thompson eagled the 7th with a 30 foot putt and finished her round with a birdie on the par-4 18th.
