Gonzaga University
NCAA Regionals Day 3
Pagdanganan Clinches NCAA Championships Berth
5/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
BRYAN, Texas--For the first time in school history, a Gonzaga University golfer will compete in the NCAA Championships after freshman Bianca Pagdanganan clinched a berth Saturday in the NCAA's Bryan Regional.
The Bulldog confirmed the historic berth by tying for eighth during the three-round tournament, held at Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas. It's her sixth Top 10 finish of the season and, at 2-under-par 214, tied for the fifth-lowest tournament score in GU women's golf history.
"I am super proud of Bianca," said Gonzaga women's golf head coach Brad Rickel. "She's worked really hard and has been really coachable this year. She's definitely deserves to go to Nationals. It's a good day for her and a good day for Gonzaga women's golf."
Pagdanganan fought her way into an under-par front nine, birdying the par-5 eighth hole to make the turn tied atop the leaderboard. On that eighth, she pitched within a foot or two for the easy birdie. "Bianca played very scrappy golf for the first five or six holes. She didn't hit well off the tee but fought to make par after par after par. She had some great long putts to save herself," said Rickel.
On the par-5 10th, she took nine strokes - a quadruple bogey - but managed to fight through the final eight holes for an advancing score. After a par on No. 14 and bogey on No. 15, she picked up a crucial birdie on the par-3 16th that offset a bogey on her final hole of the tournament.
"On No. 10, Bianca hit into a hazard and had to chip out of it, and then she plugged a ball in a bunker," Rickel said. "After that, she fought hard to keep the round in play. That she was able to advance with a quad is incredible. I'm super proud of for that."
In all, Pagdanganan took 78 strokes (+6) during Saturday's final round. The Quezon City, Philippines, native went into the clubhouse at 2-under for the tournament and had to wait for the team competition to wrap up before officially punching her ticket to the championships.
The top six teams and top three individuals not already on an advancing team all earned berths to the NCAA Championships Saturday. Georgia, Arizona, UCLA, Furman, Miami, and Texas claimed the Bryan Regional's team bids while Baylor's Laura Lonardi and Louisville's Olivia Cason join Pagdanganan as Bryan's individual representatives. Georgia won the team competition at 858 (-6) while the Bulldogs' Bailey Tardy and UCLA's Bronte Law tied for first individually at 209 (-7).
The NCAA Championships will run Saturday, May 21 through Wednesday, May 25, at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. The first three days will consist entirely of stroke play, in which Pagdanganan will compete, while the final two will see match play to determine the team champion.
