By Kent Paisley
It only takes one strong start. It’s an adage that rings true throughout the LPGA Tour’s history. During Karen Stupples’ rookie year in 1999, the Englishwoman battled to keep her tour card. Making five cuts through her first 10 starts and never earning more than $4,000, Stupples broke through for her first top-10 that September at the LPGA State Farm Classic for a T-8, paying her $19,304.

“I felt like I had won the lottery,” said Stupples, an eventual major winner who is now an NBC and Golf Channel commentator. “Literally, I felt like I was the richest person alive because I had never seen that kind of money going into my bank account ever.”

For players this week at Pine Needles who qualified their way into the 77th US. Women’s Open, instead of playing in the $750,000 purse that Stupples broke through for in Springfield, it’s a historic $10 million up for grabs, a prize money payout that rose $4.5 million from 2021 and can reset a player’s season in 72 holes. Particularly for players who arrive in North Carolina like Stupples before them, searching for a spark.

Bianca Pagdanganan’s qualifying journey felt like winning a lottery all on its own. On top of managing significant internal pressure to qualify for the US Women’s Open for the first time, (her 2020 appearance as an LPGA rookie was aided by special exemptions surrounding the shortened COVID season), the Filipina has battled tendonitis in her right wrist since March. After missing the cut at Rancho Palos Verdes just five days before her May 4 qualifier at Fox Run Golf Club, she met with a physio and doctor. They told her to rest as much as possible. Pagdanganan didn’t touch a club until taking her first swing at the start of her qualifier’s practice round four days later.

Impressively, Pagdanganan sat at five-under through 35 holes. She missed a four-footer for par on her 36th that she knew she needed to avoid a playoff. Pagdanganan then squared off in a five-for-three playoff featuring fellow LPGA pros Muni He, Jaye Marie Green, Morgane Metraux and Dottie Ardina. Pagdanganan made a long par putt to stay alive on the first extra hole. After birdieing the second hole, she had her ticket to Pine Needles.

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“It’s the US Open. It’s everyone’s dream to play the US Open, and that’s exactly what I’m doing right now,” she said on the eve of the championship. “I just have to tell myself to enjoy this process and the whole experience. I’ll try to keep it in mind for the rest of the week. That way, it hopefully helps me play better and lessens the pressure for the other events.”

It gives her another opportunity for a top-10 finish at a major, as Pagdanganan broke on to the national scene with a T-8 at the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Not only did it give her more starts at other majors, it’s been a confidence booster.

“When I struggle mentally,” Pagdanganan said, “it’s a good reminder that you can play in any condition, you can play great golf, and you’re capable of doing great things. That kind of helps me get through.”

Daniela Darquea fought similar mental demons to get to Pine Needles. After finishing 152nd on the CME points list in 2021, she had to go back to Stage II of LPGA qualifying to better her status. The 2017 rookie didn’t advance to Q-Series and got buried on the LPGA’s priority list, sitting at 386th. Darquea has spent this season playing on the Epson Tour and chasing LPGA Monday qualifiers. She hadn’t made it through any yet, and the streak seemed likely to continue through the first round of her US Women’s Open qualifier.

Darquea shot three-over par at the Ohio State University Golf Club. Before beginning her final round, Darquea turned to her cousin, Felipe Darquea, a junior on the Ohio University’s men’s golf team who caddied for her. He told her she needed to shoot six-under in the second round to breakthrough.

Darquea nearly Bambino’d it, as she posted five-under to charge into the final of three spots for Pine Needles by two strokes for an opportunity to turn her year around.

While the money is of course considerable for those at the US Women’s Open, for players like Pagdanganan and Darquea, it’s the CEM points that can improve their LPGA status or even help secure a LPGA card for 2023, that makes this week important.

Daniela Darquea hasn’t got into an LPGA event this season. A good finish at Pine Needles can change that. Sam Greenwood

“It would mean a lot more to make the second reshuffle and get on to the LPGA,” Darquea said, “That’s my goal, hopefully for the week, and then for the year, hopefully get back out there.

“This is my only chance, pretty much.”

She’s hoping to replicate the magic as her cousin caddies for her again this week.

Lauren Kim also went through LPGA qualifying last year after finishing 123rd in CME points and improved her status through Q-Series. That momentum didn’t carry over into 2022. Through six starts this season, the Stanford graduate hasn’t made a cut.

The 27-year-old walked on to Pine Needles feeling the same wonder for her first US Women’s Open start as she did making her USGA debut at the 2014 US Women’s Amateur. She hopes focusing on that feeling will put her in a good mindset into the week.

“I’m trying to enjoy every second of it. I’m not too worried. Golf is golf, it’s up and down and sometimes it’s not what you want it to be. And that’s OK. Just trying to take it one step at a time.”

Those moments include her mom buying them both US Women’s Open bucket hats to take home.

Lauren Kim hasn’t made a cut yet in 2022, but a big week at Pine Needles can boost her chances keeping her card. Michael Cohen

Even if Kim’s missed cut streak continues, she’ll still take home a pay cheque. Kim lit up when told for the first time that those who miss the cut will still receive $8,000.

“Wow, that’s huge,” Kim said, “Obviously, this year has been a big financial burden on me, just missing cuts. You’re spending more and not making it back. I think that’s really cool. It frees up the mind, frees up the swing for those who worry about that. I’m fortunate to have amazing sponsors. Not all girls have that.”

This week could give the birthday gift of financial security to Isi Gabsa, who turns 27 the Tuesday following the US Women’s Open. Since turning professional, Isi Gabsa’s thought about getting into the marquee major with her birthday, June 7, consistently being around the end of the US Women’s Open.

She’s on the precipice of breaking into the top 100 in CME points, as the German sits in 103rd coming into the week. However, Gabsa noted it’s still early in the season to focus on making that move now. Despite it almost being June, 22 tournaments and four majors remain on the schedule. Gabsa appreciates the validation of being in such a strong field for the first time and how just one strong week with this historic purse can support her career.

“You would never say no to that much money,” Gabsa said. “It would definitely ease a lot of things with traveling costs for a couple of years to come. That would be very nice to have for sure.”

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The post For tour pros struggling to maintain their LPGA status, the US Women’s Open presents a career-changing opportunity appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Paisley
The 2021 LPGA Tour season moves on to its 10th tournament of the year this week at the Pure Silk Championship. At a glance, it would seem like a run-of-the-mill event, albeit one that begins a parade of 11 straight weeks of tournaments through early August.

But with a closer look, the stop at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., is actually one of the more critical weeks of the year for LPGA members, specifically those who earned their cards via Q-Series and have limited status. After Sunday’s play wraps up, the LPGA “reshuffles” the priority list for tour members for the first time since the middle of 2019. That means players have one last tournament to earn critical CME points and potentially set themselves up for more access to events for the rest of 2021.

“Reshuffles are huge, especially for people who don’t have the best priority status,” said LPGA Tour rookie Jennifer Chang. “If I can bump up a couple more spots even, depending on how everything goes, that would be a huge thing for me. Even just one spot can be the difference between getting into a tournament versus not getting into one.”

Like the PGA Tour, the LPGA classifies members into various categories depending on their play from the previous season. Top categories include players high on the money list, career money leaders and winners in recent seasons. Tournament fields are filled in order of categories, so the better or higher category you’re in, the better chance you can pick what events you want to play in.

The reshuffle, which ordinarily happens twice during the season, lets players from lower categories move into higher ones based on their current play (or move up on the priority ranking within a category).

Reshuffles for 2021 are using CME points instead of official money. And the potential movement is limited. The LPGA Tour has Category 8 for players from lower categories who are in the top 80 of the CME points list in 2021 after Pure Silk. In addition, Category 13 will absorb all players from lower categories who don’t move to Category 8.

So, for example, Leona Maguire is 16th on the CME points list and will move up from Category 9 (the top 10 LPGA Symetra Tour players) to Category 8. Lydia Ko sits atop the CME points list but is already in Category 1, so she won’t reshuffle.

Chang is currently in Category 14 from earning her card through Q-Series in 2019. This category is the break even group for entry into most full-field events. Chang finished T-9 at the 2019 Q-Series, and is currently 137th on the tour’s overall priority list. Chang is making her seventh start of the season at the Pure Silk, a full-field event with 142 players competing. (A priority number inside 144 essentially lets you play any full-field event you wish.)

On the other side of the breakeven point is long-hitting Bianca Pagdanganan. She, too, is in Category 14 (finished T-38 at Q-Series) but is 167th on the overall priority list. The 23-year-old Filipino rookie has only played twice this year, and just once from her status. (Pagdanganan’s start at the ANA Inspiration came from finishing in the top 80 on the money list in 2020.) She’s missed the cut in both starts so has no CME points earned in 2021. Thus she needs to have a really good week (top eight or better finish) in hopes of somehow getting into Category 8 or risk moving only to Category 13 and being low on the priority list inside the category. (All this despite a third-place finish at the LPGA Drive On last fall and a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship last December.)

Bianca Pagdanganan needs a T-8 finish or better this week at Kingsmill if she hopes to jump from Category 14 to Category 8 and be able to pick what full-field events she plays in this summer on the LPGA Tour. Michael Reaves

“I think the reshuffles are a bit stressful for some players, especially for rookies, because if you get passed, your schedule can be very much in limbo,” says LPGA Tour veteran Christina Kim, currently in Category 14 as a Q-Series grad but set to move to Category 8 thanks to being 57th on the 2021 CME points list. “On the flip side, if you’re in my camp, knowing that all I needed was a tee time to get a chance to play well, you don’t have to focus on the reshuffle because good golf will take care of itself.”

Chang has made the most of her opportunities, with her first career top-10 at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala in February. She is in 72nd place on the CME points list and is in the field in Kingsmill. If she stays in the top 80 after play on Sunday, she’ll move to Category 8. Otherwise she can only jump to Category 13.

The second reshuffle doesn’t happen until after the CP Women’s Open the last week of August. So for many Q-Series grads, this week is a make or break point for hopes of keeping a LPGA card for 2022 or having to go back to the Q-Series.

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By Keely Levin
The USGA is known to have a little fun when making the pairings for its championships, and this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston is no exception. Of the pairings for the 154-woman field, one sticks out: the bombers group. The USGA put together the three longest players on the LPGA Tour: Bianca Pagdanganan, who averages 284.7 yards off the tee, Anne van Dam (281.8 yards) and Maria Fassi (280.4 yards).

Anne Van Dam plays her shot from the third tee during the second round of the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Andy Lyons/PGA of America

Due to the realities of limited daylight that come with the championship being played in December, the first two rounds will be played on two courses, Cypress Creek and Jackrabbit. After the cut, the weekend will be played on Cypress Creek. The long-hitting group will tee off at 12:10 a.m. (ET) on both days, starting on the 10th hole of Jackrabbit on Thursday and the first hole of Cypress Creek on Friday. Their length will be helpful on the 6,731-yard Cypress and 6,558-yard Jackrabbit courses.

Related: Stacy Lewis relishes playing U.S. Women’s Open on home course

Though long, each player is quite young. Van Dam is the eldest at 25 years old. She and Fassi, 22, joined the tour in 2019. Pagdanganan, 23, is currently finishing her rookie year. Pagdanganan has said she wants to be the first player in LPGA Tour history to average over 300 yards during a tournament, and she got close at the LPGA Drive On Championship, averaging 299.5 yards for the week at Reynolds Lake Oconee. The chilly December weather in Houston may make it difficult to set any distance records, but you can bet she and her playing partners are going to be swinging hard.

Maria Fassi hits her tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 2020 Pelican Women’s Championship. Mike Ehrmann

Among the other marquee groups: World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is paired with No. 4 Danielle Kang and eight-time LPGA winner Anna Nordqvist; World No. 3 Nelly Korda and No. 11 Lexi Thompson are grouped with No. 22 Heejeong Lim; and the tournament’s defending champion, Jeongeun Lee6, will play with 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels and Japan’s Hinako Shibuno.

Cristie Kerr, who suffered injuries in a cart accident on Friday at the Volunteers of America Classic, has not ruled out playing in the Women’s Open, and she is in the pairings, grouped with fellow Americans Brittany Lincicome and Gerina Pillar.

The post U.S. Women’s Open 2020: The USGA didn’t disappoint by grouping the three longest drivers on the LPGA together appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
While Bryson DeChambeau was boasting about his first 400-plus-yard drive, there were some big gains on the LPGA Tour, too. Bianca Pagdanganan, a rookie who turns 23 on Wednesday, has enjoyed notoriety of late by appearing near the top of the LPGA Tour’s distance rankings. She’s averaging 288.8 yards for the season, besting fellow bombers Maria Fassi (282.2 yards) and Anne van Dam (281.8 yards) to lead the tour. But at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee, Pagdanganan was hitting it far—even for her.

According to the tour, Pagdanganan’s longest drive of the week came during Saturday’s third round, when she hit her tee shot on the 18th hole 317 yards. She had an iron into the green with her second shot, while others had to lay up on the closing par 5.

Pagdanganan’s father told LPGA.com that she wants to become the first LPGA player to have a driving-distance average of 300 yards. And she nearly did that at least for a week in Georgia. Pagdanganan’s first-round driving average was 300 yards (a stat computed off the average tee shots on two selected holes where all players are presumed to hit driver). She followed that with a 295-yard average in the second round, 310 yards during the third round and 293 yards in the final round. That brought her four-round average to 299.5 yards, incredibly close to the 300-yard mark.

Interestingly, Pagdanganan is hitting it far without having the benefit of height or a big athletic build similar to other long drivers on the LPGA Tour. Van Dam stands 5’10” while Pagdanganan is all of 5’5”.

Importantly, Pagdanganan, a native of the Phillipines who played on the 2018 NCAA Championship team at Arizona along with fellow LPGA rookie Haley Moore, is more than just a bomber. Her last two performances suggests she’s arrived on tour will a full game. She finished third on Sunday at the Drive On Championship, going bogey-free during her final round while finishing two shots back of winner Ally McDonald and one shot behind runner-up Danielle Kang. Before that, Pagdanganan finished T-9 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, her first career start in a major.

“If you told me a couple years ago that I would be playing on the LPGA Tour and in this position in my rookie year I probably wouldn’t believe you,” Pagdanganan said.

Though she didn’t hit the 300-yard average in Georgia, it’s would seem to be only a matter of time before she does.

The post Bianca Pagdanganan just missed averaging 300 yards off the tee at the LPGA Drive On Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.