THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 12, 2023

Bianca Pagdanganan

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Bianca. Can you just walk us through your round. He had an eagle out there; 67 in the last day. What was going through your head?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: I made 12 straight pars. It was very frustrating. But, you know, to give myself -- or to be a little bit more fair on myself, I wasn't hitting it very close. I wouldn't say I gave myself a ton of opportunities.

But I tried to stay patient. I knew that I could go for some pins, but the birdie on was it 13, 14.

Q. 13.

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: The birdie on 13 helped me switch the momentum which was really good for me.

And then I crushed the drive on 14 and was able to get to the green in two and made the eagle.

So after that I was like, it's only going to go up from here so I tried to do what I could and get some things going in my round.

Yeah, it was pretty boring to begin with, and then had some action towards the end. I guess that's basically my round summarized.

Q. And then 18 you were staring at a birdie putt. Had some pressure this week on the line. What was going through your head on this last putt there?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: I love 18. I've made one putt on 18 every single day. I think I've had good juju on that hole, but I didn't feel any of that really.

I just enjoyed the round, and I think that's really what's been working for me the past couple tournaments. There has just been things that have been happening and it just put things into perspective. There is so much more to life than golf, so I really try to enjoy my time out here and I guess it's working well.

Q. Given where you started the year, was there less pressure knowing you had a place to play next year or more pressure knowing you were 60th on the list trying to get into CME?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: I knew I was on the bubble, but honestly, heading into this year, maybe more pressure into like knowing where I was going to play.

So earlier in the year it was a tough start and I could remember exactly what I felt. I remember I was jumping back and forth from Epson and LPGA and there was a stretch where I missed four cuts in a row by one, and that's just crushing.

Especially the first full-field event in Hawai'i. I missed it by one and that was the fourth event that I had missed. I remember just -- when you're going through those times it feels like you're never going to got out of it.

I just tried to find other things to do, enjoy my life outside of golf. I just tried to not let it consume me. I tried to find other things that made me happy outside the golf course, and hopefully that was able to bring some balance back into my game.

I don't know. I've been working so hard. My ball striking was working so well. I've been putting so much time into everything else like my short game and I've seen such a huge improvement.

I knew with the events I had to play this year my time was going to come eventually. I knew I was going to start playing well. I did, so obviously -- I would say that it was the beginning of the year that was, you know -- that was a time where I had a lot of pressure on myself.

Q. And today did you think about being on the CME bubble at all?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: No. I got asked this question like a couple weeks ago and I was like, where I started in the year, the CME wasn't even that far up my like list of things to, I don't know, think about.

But, again, I tried to find balance, do things outside of golf, and enjoy my time on the golf course.

I guess it was just like as of last week when I checked it, I was like, oh. Because I knew I was going to miss four events. I was like, this is probably going to push me out of the list.

Heading into this week I was 60th, but I haven't been thinking about anything else when I'm on the golf course. My game feels good, so that's what I'm going to think about.

Q. What are some of the outside things you were talking about that have given you perspective on the game?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: It's just a bunch of like personal things. I don't think I'm very comfortable talking about that, but, yeah.

Q. What are some things that you have found that you enjoy doing outside of the game that take your mind off?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: I try to do basically everything. I started baking this year. I love chocolate chip cookies and I'm very picky, so, yes, baking. I have tried to read more.

My sister is a bookworm. Like I share a room with her back home in the Philippines and I don't have space because half of it is her books. I think I outread here this year. It's not a lot, like 12 books.

But another thing being 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.

The last couple weeks while everyone was in Asia I made a narwal and a dinosaur. Yes. Yes.

Q. Amazing. So what was the best book that you read?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: So earlier this year I read Giannis Antetokounmpo's book and it's really nice to read about a great athlete and learning from their work ethic and what it takes to be the best in what you do.

So I think that's win the things I really enjoyed or one the books I really enjoyed.

Q. And just one last question: Looking on the year as a whole, what's been the proudest moment for yourself?

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN: I guess finishing the narwal. Kidding. Gosh, I want to say that I guess it's the -- one of the proudest moments I've had this year was I believed in myself. I'm not going to lie. Earlier this year I had so many doubts. Like I said, it's when you're in that dark -- I wouldn't say dark -- but in a really tough time, it feels like it's never going to end.

You can't seem to get yourself out of it. The fact that I was able to do that and I kept working hard and just doing everything I could to try to get my game back, it takes a lot to be able to do that so I'm very proud of that.

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