BIANCA Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina gave women’s golf a boost after they officially qualified for the Paris Olympics at the conclusion of the process which ended with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last Sunday.
Pagdanganan, 26, and Ardina, 30, competed in that LPGA event with Bianca finishing tied for 41st place while Ardina missed the cut.
This will be the second Olympics for Pagdanganan, who competed in the Tokyo Games along with Yuka Saso in 2021. Yuka has also qualified for the Olympics, this time representing Japan whose citizenship she chose after turning 21.
No men's golf qualifier
With the addition of the two golfers, the Philippine Olympic team has increased to 17 athletes. Unfortunately, no male Filipino golfer qualified for the Olympics. Juvic Pagunsan competed in the last Games in Tokyo, finishing 55th.
A total of 60 players are competing in the women’s golf tournament which will be held at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, a city just outside Paris. It is 6,649 yards long, par 72 and nines of 36-36. It was the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup and has hosted the French Open since 1991.
This year, Pagdanganan has played in 12 LPGA events, with a best place finish of 7th in the Mizuho Americas Open. She missed four cuts.
Dottie played in just two official LPGA events and missed the cut in the last one, the KMPG PGA Open, after shooting 75-78.
Despite not having a good season, Ardina still managed to make the cut for the Paris Olympics, placing 55th among 60 that qualified.
Pagdanganan was 35th in the Olympic rankings and had been comfortably inside the qualification criteria for months.
The Philippines joins Thailand as the only Southeast Asian nations with two representatives in Paris. Malaysia and Singapore have one each. Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan and India also have two each.
Several Olympians have left ahead to continue their training abroad. The athletes were recently feted in Malacanang where President Marcos wished them good luck. During the same occasion, Marcos ordered additional funding for the team.
The Philippines is hoping to improve on its extraordinary achievement in the Tokyo Games where the country won a gold medal in weightlifting and two silvers and a bronze in boxing.
Below is the NGAP statement on the pair's qualification:
It's a momentous day for Philippine golf as we proudly announce our participation in the Olympic golf competitions for the third consecutive time.
Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina will represent the Philippines at Le Golf National in the Paris Olympics this August. With great enthusiasm, we eagerly anticipate their campaign on this prestigious stage.
Their extensive experience on the LPGA Tour and Epson Tour, along with their impressive track records with national teams, has undoubtedly prepared Bianca and Dottie for this formidable challenge against the world's best talents in women's golf.
Bianca and Dottie should know that beyond their remarkable skills, they can rely on the unwavering support of the entire nation as they compete at Le Golf National. They will carry our collective hopes of a Filipino golfer finally achieving a podium finish in the Olympics, alongside our aspirations for medals across various sports disciplines.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Bianca and Dottie for securing their places among the 60 elite players vying for the three medals in Paris. A special commendation goes to Bianca for qualifying for her second consecutive Olympics.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
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