Bianca Pagdanganan blew away her flight-mates with the way she played during a pick-up round at Luisita Golf and Country Club recently.
“We were joking about her game, asking if she had been training secretly,” said National Golf Association of the Philippines secretary general Bones Floro who was with the group.
Another one in the flight, NGAP executive director Myka Romulo said: “For nine holes, easily she was three- or four-under.”
The 26-year-old Pagdanganan has been doing the rounds while on vacation here in the Philippines, remaining sharp before resuming her training late in the month.
Up on her calendar are tournaments in Thailand and Singapore, then on to the LPGA Tour where she’s brandishing a full card.
But what thrills top golf officials nowadays is the prospect of Pagdanganan once again donning the country’s colors in the Paris Olympics.
Among a few, Floro said Pagdanganan has the strongest chance of making the Olympic quota of Top 60 in the world. The Filipina long-hitter is currently 57th in the LPGA Race to CME from 45 last December.
One thing going for her is the rule limiting countries to just two entries each for men’s and women’s divisions. That would level playing field for strong nations who have several players in the world rankings.
“That’s why we are telling Bianca to just keep on playing and maintain that ranking,” Floro said.
Dottie Ardina is also counted upon to make the Phl roster, while erstwhile Filipino campaigner Yuka Saso is expected to sit it out for residency with Japan.
Filipino-American Rico Hoey, who just debuted in the PGA Tour, is also among the names rattled off for inclusion, as well as Asian Tour Order of Merit second runner-up Miguel Tabuena.
“We are looking at sending three to Paris,” added Floro.
Meantime, NGAP is ending full contingents in the Asian Junior Masters and the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific slated in March in Wahing and Pattaya, respectively in Thailand.
