Pagdanganan looks to bounce back in JM Eagle LA Championship

MANILA, Philippines — After missing the cut in two of her first three tournaments and finishing a distant 70th in the other, Bianca Pagdanganan finds herself at a crucial juncture in her LPGA season.

With nowhere to go but up, the power-hitting Filipina will look to spark a turnaround when she tees off from the final group at 2:16 p.m. on Thursday (Friday Manila time) in the JM Eagle LA Championship at the El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles.

Pagdanganan is grouped with Norway’s Celine Borge and Australia’s Hira Naveed as she attempts to turn around a season that has so far fallen short of expectations.

She missed the cut in her season debut at the Founders Cup, managed only a 70th-place finish at the Blue Bay LPGA, and stumbled again at the Ford Championship, failing to advance past the cut line.

This week, the challenge only intensifies. The 27-year-old, one of the Tour’s biggest hitters – currently ranked 12th in driving distance with a 280-yard average – is entering a highly competitive field.

The tournament lineup includes World No. 1 Nelly Korda, major winners Lilia Vu and Sei Young Kim, and elite talents like Celine Boutier, Hyo Joo Kim, Minjee Lee, Ayaka Furue, Yealimi Noh and defending champion Hannah Green.

The ICTSI-backed Pagdanganan, who has long been admired for her power game, will need more than distance to contend. A combination of accuracy, short game finesse, and mental resilience will be crucial if she hopes to make a deep run and rejuvenate her season.

Meanwhile, two-time US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso is sitting out this week. After failing to advance from group play at the T-Mobile Match Play, where she tied for 35th, Saso has opted to take a break and regroup before her next start – the season’s first major, the Chevron Championship on April 24-27 at The Woodlands in Texas.

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