Pagdanganan, Ardina eye LPGA breakthrough in Riviera Maya Open

MANILA, Philippines — With many of the LPGA Tour’s top stars opting to rest and regroup ahead of next week’s second major championship, a talented cast of rising contenders and seasoned pros are ready to seize the spotlight at the inaugural Mexico Riviera Maya Open, which reels off Thursday, May 22, at the scenic Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo.

Among those eyeing a breakthrough in the $2.5-million event are Olympians Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina, who aim to carry the Philippine flag high in the four-day championship that also offers a significant 500 Race to CME Globe points.

Pagdanganan, renowned for her prodigious length off the tee and supported by ICTSI, is looking to capitalize on the early morning conditions when she kicks off her campaign at 7 a.m. on No. 1. She’ll be grouped with Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant and American Jennifer Song on the par-72 track nestled along the Riviera Maya.

Ardina, meanwhile, seeks redemption after a disappointing final-round collapse at the Epson Tour event in Utah. She tees off at 9:01 a.m., also on the first hole, alongside Malaysia’s Ashley Lau and China’s Xiaowen Yin.

With limited LPGA Tour starts this season, Ardina is determined to make the most of every opportunity.

The 144-player field, though missing many of the sport’s biggest names, remains stacked with emerging talent and proven winners. It includes 16 LPGA Tour rookies led by two-time LPGA champion Rio Takeda and the dynamic Japanese twins Akie and Chisato Iwai.

Tour veterans Charley Hull of England, Carlota Ciganda of Spain and Korea’s Sei Young Kim, who triumphed in the 2017 Lorena Ochoa Match Play in Mexico, are also in the mix and expected to contend.

As the spotlight shifts temporarily to Playa del Carmen, the tour’s elite players are ramping up preparations for the season’s second major, the $12-million US Women’s Open set for May 29 to June 1 in Erin Hills, Wisconsin.

Reigning champion Yuka Saso, who claimed her second US Women’s Open title in convincing fashion last year, is hoping to rediscover her top form after a rough stretch.

Backed by one of the world’s leading port operators, the Filipino-Japanese star has struggled recently, missing the cut in three straight events, including the season’s first major, the Chevron Championship in April.

As the Riviera Maya Open unfolds, it provides a golden opportunity for under-the-radar names to make a statement — and for Pagdanganan and Ardina to lead a spirited Filipino charge on the LPGA stage.