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Golf: Rookie Pagdanganan credits ‘quiet’ caddie for helping navigate tough Ohio course

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ABS-CBN News

Occasionally, golf is about getting the right numbers, and that is what has kept Bianca Pagdanganan clicking this week.After a jittery opener, a cooler and calmer Pagdanganan came through with a 1-over-par 73 in the rain-hit second round to safely make the cut and head into the final round of the Drive On Championship played at the Inverness Club in Ohio.That’s a slight improvement from the 74 in the first round as she had a better grasp of the tough Inverness course, which has made scoring difficult for everyone. And for that, she credits her “quiet” caddie Mick Taley for the success.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/01/20/golf-despite-2-over-round-bianca-pagdanganan-stays-optimistic-in-lpga-debut">Golf: Despite 2-over round, Bianca Pagdanganan stays optimistic in LPGA debut</a></li></ul>“He does not say much, he just gives me the right numbers on the course,” Pagdanganan said of Taley, a veteran caddie for both the PGA and LPGA Tours, noting that only seven players broke par.The stat sheet showed she was accurate with her drives, hitting on 12 of 15 fairways, and a driving distance of 277 yards. She was also good on the putting surface with 28 putts overall.“I’d say that I was able to put the ball in play more or like, hit more fairways, which is very important on this difficult and demanding course. That helped me avoid the thick roughs around,” she said.Counting her 73, the 22-year-old Filipina star tallied 147 and stood 12 shots behind leaders Celine Boutier of France, Jodi Shadoff of Sweden and Danielle Kang of the US in the tournament that stakes $1-million in total prize.With inclement weather ahead, will she be more aggressive or conservative?“It depends on how the conditions will be. I think I really have to play smart and see what course is going to be then just go from there,” she said.Sophomore pro Clariss Guce, the US-based Filipina and daughter of horse race jockey Ramon Guce, also had a 73 for 148.Dottie Ardina was cut after turning in a consecutive 78 for 156.For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Filipina golf superstar Bianca Pagdanganan could have easily fallen by the wayside at Inverness, but that didn't happen, thanks to veteran caddie Mick Taley.

Filipina golf superstar Bianca Pagdanganan could have easily fallen by the wayside at Inverness, but that didn't happen, thanks to veteran caddie Mick Taley.