Uy, Pagdanganan shine in LPGA Q-School opener

MANILA, Philippines — Daniella Uy and Bianca Pagdanganan put in a pair of two-under 70s as they trailed Korean Min A Yoon by five at the start of the grueling LPGA and Symetra Tour Qualifying Tournament Stage I in various courses in Rancho Mirage, California Thursday.

Uy, a former Junior World champion who has been honing her skills and talent on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, hit three birdies, including two in the last three holes, against a bogey at Arnold Palmer layout to gain a share of 20th place with 18 others.

They included Pagdanganan, the Asian Games individual bronze medalist and member of the Philippine gold medal team in Jakarta last year, who actually blew a five-under card after 15 holes at the Faldo course with bogeys in the last three.

But those 70s put the two Pinays among the early contenders from the 351 out to make the cut after 54 holes for cracks at berths in Stage II and eventually in the Q-Series.

Min, also an amateur like Pagdanganan, tamed the Faldo layout with five birdies with an eagle to boot to finish with a solid 65 and a one-stroke lead over Mexican Ana Ruiz Laphond.

Chanelle Avaricio and Pauline del Rosario, however, groped for form and turned in over-par cards with the former limping with a 75 (tied for 152) on three birdies against two bogeys and two double bogeys at Dinah Shore.