Leona Maguire finds herself just above the projected cutline after the opening round of the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. A three-over 75 at Mayakoba resort leaves her in a share of 63rd place.
There were green shoots when an early birdie on her third hole got her into red figures, but that would be the one and only birdie of the round and four bogeys followed – three coming on the final nine holes.
Bianca Pagdanganan felt right at home in the stifling heat and humidity on Thursday on the Yucatán Peninsula, using her power to set up a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th for a 4-under 68, securing a four-way share of the lead.
Pagdanganan, the 27-year-old from the Philippines, hit all but two greens despite finding few fairways. Her two-putt birdie from 15 feet allowed her to join Chisato Iwai, Jenny Shin, and Brianna Do at the top of the leaderboard.
The wind posed a challenge on the El Camaleón course at Mayakoba, but the heat index was the biggest obstacle, limiting scoring opportunities.
Shin was the first to reach 68, making seven birdies but faltering with a double bogey on the 16th hole. When asked about her strong start, Shin remarked, “I actually don’t remember because it’s so hot. I don’t recall the first birdie.”
She did, however, recall her hot putter, which delivered mostly birdies and a few pars. Still, the oppressive conditions were hard to ignore.
“I didn’t anticipate heat like this,” Shin said. “I was really shocked when I arrived. It definitely feels like Southeast Asia. I’ve been hydrating a lot, drinking salted water and electrolytes. I haven’t been practising much, so I’m heading straight to the hotel after this.”
Chisato birdied two of her final five holes, while Do started superbly, reaching 4 under through her first five holes. She cooled thereafter, with one bogey and a birdie on the 18th to claim a share of the lead.
Five more players, including Hye-Jin Choi and Jenny Bae, carded 69s.
Charley Hull, ranked No. 15 in the world and the highest-ranked player in the final event before the U.S. Women’s Open, missed short putts late in her round and settled for a 72. One of those misses came on the par-5 13th, where she hit her second shot to within 3 feet.
Pagdanganan felt relatively at ease during her round.
“It felt like a fairly easy round, which, honestly, I haven’t experienced in a while,” she said. “To feel that out here is really good. I hit a lot of greens—not many fairways—but it didn’t matter much today. I was swinging well and had a clear headspace.
“Mentally and physically, everything aligned really well for me today.”
It was a challenging day for two prominent Mexican players. Gaby López, who played a key role in bringing the LPGA back to Mexico for the first time since 2017, made eight bogeys in her round of 79. María Fassi, a former NCAA champion at Arkansas, started with two early birdies but struggled to a 75.
Mayakoba previously hosted a PGA Tour event and a LIV Golf event last year.
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