Who is Bianca Pagdanganan? Here are 5 things you should know about this Filipina golf star (Photo: Bianca Pagdanganan/Instagram)
封面圖片 Who is Bianca Pagdanganan? Here are 5 things you should know about this Filipina golf star (Photo: Bianca Pagdanganan / Instagram)
Who is Bianca Pagdanganan? Here are 5 things you should know about this Filipina golf star (Photo: Bianca Pagdanganan/Instagram)

Balancing a golf club isn’t the only thing Bianca Pagdanganan is good at. Find out her hidden skill and more about things golfing sensation chasing par at the Olympics

If life were a golf course, Bianca Pagdanganan would be the player who’s not just aiming for a hole-in-one but driving her dreams down the fairway with style and flair.

Pagdanganan’s shot at golfing greatness were anything but par for the course. She grew up with a golf club in hand and her dad’s weekend rounds as her playground. Naturally, she transformed from a hopeful junior golfer into a global competitor with an impressive resume.

The Filipina golf star is days away from her competition in the Paris 2024 Olympics, her second appearance in the Games. She clinched the Olympic ticket after her standout performance at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she ranked 113th in Olympic Golf Rankings.

Read more: What goes on inside the Olympic Village

Here are five things you should know about this 26-year-old athlete that make her one of a kind both on and off the greens.

Her dad shaped her love for golf

Bianca Pagdanganan’s introduction to golf wasn’t a grand, planned event but rather a series of simple, familial moments. Her father, Sam, took the young Bianca along during his golfing sessions at Camp Aguinaldo, and what began as a light-hearted activity soon turned into a lifelong passion. 

Her bond with the sport was deeply nurtured by her family. Alongside her dad is her mother, Carmina, and siblings, Ines and Carlos, forming her support network to unlock her best potential.

Another fun fact, during the Covid-19 outbreak, she donated to the tee boys and girls at the camp as many of them have known her since childhood.

Read more: Getting to know Filipino Olympian Nesthy Petecio

She was a collegiate champ

A huge influence on her career came from the crossing of her athletic and academic routes. She began her career at Gonzaga University in Washington, USA for two years and eventually moved to the University of Arizona, where she made a major mark. 

Pagdanganan helped the Arizona Wildcats win the 2018 NCAA Division championship in women’s golf—a triumph that paved the way for her professional debut. She turned professional in January 2020 after earning her LPGA Tour card.

But before becoming a collegiate golfing champ, Pagdanganan was born and raised in the Philippines, where she graduated from Assumption Antipolo.

Read more: 5 things to know about Olympic gymnast Aleah Finnegan

A girl’s girl

A champion both on and off the course, Bianca Pagdanganan is a vocal advocate for gender equality in sports. She’s not afraid to use her platform to speak about disparities in pay and recognition between male and female athletes—a contentious topic in any sport. 

“There are other barriers that persist, like the gender pay gap, and the level of exposure/attention given not just to women’s golf but to women’s sports in general,” she told Tatler.

Read more: Bianca Pagdanganan on breaking barriers for female athletes

Her golf hero is a Filipina. Pagdanganan looks up to Jennifer Rosales, who was the first Filipino to win on the LPGA Tour in 2000.

She once donated all her award money

Outside the fairways and greens, Pagdanganan’s heart shines brightly through her generous acts. After winning medals at the 2018 Asia Games, Pagdanganan and her teammates Yuka Saso and Lois Kaye Go decided to donate their prize money to the national golf program.

The gesture wasn’t just about giving back; it was about supporting the future generations of Filipino golfers. Also, she and Saso were playing which has strict rules regarding financial rewards for amateur players. “It was really, for me, never about the money,” said Pagdanganan in an interview.

Read more: How Filipina fencer Maxine Esteban defied all odds to her Olympic dreams

She has a hidden skill

When Pagdanganan is not on the golf course, she indulges in some cute unexpected hobbies. “I’m slightly embarrassed, a little bit shy, but I got into crocheting. I got those packs where they teach you step-by-step how to make stuff,” said Pagdanganan in an interview, sharing that her crochet creations include a narwhal and a dinosaur.

It seems that in Bianca’s world, the only thing more impressive than her powerful drives is her skill to turn into animals—proof that she’s as good with a hook as she is with a golf club!

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