Saso, Pangdanganan to Play in US Women's Open

Two promising swingers in Philippine women's golf are heading to the US Women's Open of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) later this month in Houston, Texas.

Coming off their respective campaigns, rookie, Yuka Saso, and Bianca Pangdangan clinched a spot in the prestigious US Women's Open, and this time around, they come in as competitors, not as teammates- something that they did during the 2018 Asian Games when Saso took the gold medal and Pangdanganan bagged the bronze medal for the Philippines.  

The 19-year old Saso is coming off a second-place finish in the players' ranking of the Japan LPGA after competing in 14 events. She will also be joined in the Houston swing-off by fellow Japan PGA competitors such as Ayaka Fuere, Erika Hara who is a two-time major winner, Sakura Koiwai, Yuna Nishimura, Eri Okayama, Teresa Lu, and Lala Anai. Pangdanganan, meanwhile, was able to clinch a spot in the Houston event by placing a joint ninth place during the Women's PGA Championship last October in Pennsylvania. 

The Filipinas are to set to square off against the likes of the Koreans in Jin Young Ko, Sei Young Kim, Bee Park, and Jeongeun Lee- the defending champion. Saso and Pangdanganan will also face a pair of Americans in Nelly Norda and Danielle Kang. 

The US Women's Open will happen from December 10 to 13 at the Cypress Creek Course. 

Photo is from the Manila Bulletin