Carlos Yulo has earned a spot in the Paris Games, while Bianca Pagdanganan placed third in Arkansas.
TH Asian Games
Unfortunately, they were unable to join Team Philippines for the 19th Asian Games.th
Despite the Asian Games being held in China, gymnastics star Carlos Yulo and golf ace Bianca Pagdanganan still managed to bring glory to their country in a different time zone.
Mr. Yulo chose to compete in the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium instead of the Hangzhou Asiad. This decision paid off as he successfully qualified for the Paris Olympics in his specialty, the floor exercise, last Sunday.
Ms. Pagdanganan, who had previously earned a team gold medal with Yuka Saso and Lois Kaye Go and an individual bronze medal for herself in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, continued to pursue her LPGA career and achieved her highest career finish of third place in Arkansas.
th in the 2011
Dottie Ardina finished in an impressive 10th place in the 2011 tournament.th
During the tournament, this resulted in a dual celebration for Filipino female golf players.
If it weren’t for conflicting schedules, these individuals would have assisted in representing the Philippines in Hangzhou.
Mr. Yulo’s Olympic qualification was at stake during the world meet, making it a valuable opportunity.
Despite a poor performance in the individual all-around, with mistakes in the still rings and vault qualifying rounds resulting in a missed spot in the finals, Mr. Yulo remains determined to qualify for the floor exercise event and make his way back to Paris.
The 23-year-old athlete performed exceptionally well in the floor qualifying rounds, earning a score of 14.600 and ranking third overall. This secured him a spot in next year’s Olympics as the top eligible competitor in this event.
Mr. Yulo was the sole participant in the floor exercise final who did not qualify through team or all-around competitions. As a result, he secured the 2024 Games spot available in this event.
The world champion has now added to the Philippine Olympic team, joining EJ Obiena who qualified for pole vault in Tokyo 2020 back in July.
In the United States, Ms. Pagdanganan’s impressive final round score of seven-under 64 at the par-71 Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, secured a Top 3 finish for her in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. This strong performance was much needed.
Ms. Pagdanganan achieved two eagles in the final nine holes, leading her to a score of 15-under 198 and securing her second Top 10 finish of the season.
The 25-year-old athlete competing in the Olympics earned a total of $112,775 (equivalent to P6.4 million) and came in fourth place behind rookie champion Hae Ran Yu from Korea (with a final score of 194 after a 66) and second place winner Linea Strom from Sweden (with a final score of 195 after a 64).
Ms. Ardina, a fellow countrywoman, also had a notable final round of 67, bringing her total score to 201. This was Ms. Ardina’s first Top 10 finish of the season, earning her a prize of $37,933 (equivalent to P2.1 million).
Both Ms. Pagdanganan and Ardina are striving to maintain their LPGA membership for the upcoming season, requiring a significant effort throughout this 54-hole tournament.
Saso finished with a score of 68, bringing his total to 203 and tying for 23rd place.