PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Golfer Bianca Pagdanganan showcased her skill in the hot and humid environment of the Yucatan Peninsula, leveraging her strength to secure a birdie on the 18th hole, a par 5, with two putts, achieving a 68, four under par, and sharing the lead at the Riviera Maya Open in Mexico.
Pagdanganan, 27, from the Philippines, managed to hit all but two greens, despite not having much success on the fairway. Her birdie with two putts from 15 feet allowed her to join Chisato Iwai, Jenny Shin, and Brianna Do at the top of the leaderboard.
The wind presented a challenge at El Camaleón Golf Club in Mayakoba, but the heat index became the biggest obstacle, limiting scoring opportunities.
Shin was the first to reach 68 strokes, with seven birdies, but was held back by a double bogey on the 16th hole. When asked about her good start, Shin replied: “Actually, I don’t remember because it’s very hot. I don’t remember the first birdie.”
However, he recalled having a hot putter, mainly for birdies and some pars. Despite this, he admitted it was difficult to overcome the sweltering conditions.
I didn’t anticipate heat like this. I was very surprised when I got here. It definitely feels like I’m in Southeast Asia. I’ve been hydrating a lot. Drinking a lot of salt water. A lot of electrolytes. I haven’t been practicing much, so I’ll go straight to the hotel room after this.
Jenny Shin
Chisato birdied two of her last five holes, while Do got off to a hot start, reaching 4-under through her first five holes. She then cooled off, with a bogey and a birdie on the 18th hole to share the lead.
Five other players, including Hye-Jin Choi and Jenny Bae, were at 69 strokes.
Charley Hull, ranked 15th in the world and the highest-ranked player in the final event before the U.S. Women’s Open, missed short putts and had to settle for a 72. One of those misses came on the 13th hole, a par 5, where her second shot landed within 3 feet.
Pagdanganan felt relatively comfortable during the round.
It felt like a pretty easy round, which, honestly, I hadn’t felt in a long time. Being able to have that here feels really good. I hit a lot of greens, not many fairways. But I felt like it didn’t matter much today. I felt like I was hitting it pretty well. I had a pretty clear mindset. So I guess mentally and physically everything aligned really well for me today.
Bianca Pagdanganan
It was a tough day for two of the most outstanding Mexican players. Gaby López, who played an important role in bringing the LPGA back to Mexico for the first time since 2017, had eight bogeys in her round of 79. Maria Fassi, former NCAA champion for Arkansas, had two early birdies, but struggled to get a 75.
Mayakoba previously hosted a PGA Tour event, and then had a LIV Golf event last year.
