Gonzaga's Bianca Pagdanganan makes hole-in-one and shoots NCAA record-tying 61

Last year Bianca Pagdanganan, as a freshman, became the first Gonzaga golfer to compete in the NCAA Championship. She also would finish the season with the best single-season stroke average in school history. All the reason to believe this was just the beginning of big things.

Big things indeed.

Now a sophomore, Pagdanganan of Quezon City, Philippines, collected her second career victory and first of the season at the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational on Friday. She would post an 11-under 61 for an NCAA record for lowest 18-hole round.

Pagdanganan, ranked No. 170 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, would finish the 36-hole event with a 14-under 130 total being played at the par-72, 5,916-yard Sunbrook Golf Course in St. George, Utah. She won by eight shots over South Dakota State’s Megan Mingo.

Her 61 tied the best mark in NCAA women’s golf history held by Esther Lee of Colorado and Mariah Stackhouse of Stanford. Lee’s 61 came earlier this year during the fall season during the opening round at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational. Stackhouse posted her 61 during the 2013 spring season in the final round of the Peg Barnard Invitational.

“Tying the NCAA record is truly an honor and I still can’t believe that I was able to do this,” said Pagdanganan. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the help of my coaches and teammates who constantly push me to be the best player I can be.”

Pagdanganan opened her round with birdies on the first two holes and would post a 3-under 33 on the front nine. She birdied holes No. 10-12 to start the back nine. She would then birdie the 14th and 16th holes to get to 8 under for the round.

“Bianca had that look in her eyes all day and I could see she was going low with no thought of doing anything but going lower,” said Gonzaga head coach Brad Rickel.

Standing on the par-3, 162-yard 17th hole, Pagdanganan would use a 9-iron that would find the bottom of the cup for a hole-in-one and to push her score to 10 under. She would then birdie the final hole to finish at 11 under.

“After two great shots on 18 she drained an eight-foot putt and fist pumped with a 61,” said Rickel.

Article first posted in golfweek.com

Gonzaga's Bianca Pagdanganan makes hole-in-one and shoots NCAA record-tying 61

Friday, July 14, 2017 Golf, People

Senatorial Candidate Rafael ALUNAN shares his thoughts on developing Philippine Tourism

Senatorial Candidate Rafael ALUNAN (#3) shares his thoughts on developing Philippine Tourism.

Unknown to many millennials, Rafael "Raffy" Alunan III is no newbie to government service.  Raffy Alunan served the Cory administration  as tourism secretary, and the Ramos administration, as interior chief. 

• Tourism commences from the time a foreigner boards a plane to his destination - Philippines until he embarks on a plane going home. Therefore it does not only involve hotels, sights, adventures but also the long lines, too many forms to fill out, the delayed flights and the bad service these foreigners encounter at the MIAA/NAIA.

• There should be a better service at our airports to encourage tourists from coming back. Better service would mean choosing the best managers/administrators for our airports including personnel and staff.
   
• We need to encourage agri-tourism[1]. There is a total of 32 agri-tourism sites, including 27 protected areas consisting of strawberry and organic vegetable farms in Benguet, as well as pineapple and coffee plantations in Bukidnon.
   
• A well-developed agri-tourism can even ensure food security.
   
• In the past there was a task force that is supposed to craft a new type of visa for medical  tourism—DOH and DOT/BI were involved. It fizzled out. This move was identified as one that will help boost medical tourism in the country. A study should be made of this sector and why remained at a stand still.
  
  
      "I love my country. I love the Filipino people and I am here to serve them." Alunan said.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

[1] Sen Cynthia Villar filed a bill providing incentives to farmers and encourages the development of agri business.

Senatorial Candidate Rafael ALUNAN shares his thoughts on developing Philippine Tourism

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 People

Visayan Senatoriables #3 and #30 Spotted In Cebu

Independent Visayan Senatorial Candidates Rafael Alunan III (#3) and Edu Manzano (#30) were seen in Cebu about the time of the presidential debates.

Both independent candidates were busy campaigning.  Unknown to many millennials, Rafael "Raffy" Alunan III is no newbie to government service.  Raffy Alunan served the Cory administration  as tourism secretary, and the Ramos administration, as interior chief.

"I love my country. I love the Filipino people and I am here to serve them." Alunan said.

Visayan Senatoriables #3 and #30 Spotted In Cebu

Monday, March 21, 2016 City-Cebu, People

17-year-old Filipino shows us how to make a BB8 Droid

Learn to make your own BB8 Droid.  A 17 year old Filipino shows us how.

Build A Homemade BB8 Droid
Watch how this 17 year old kid, build a fully-functional BB8 droid with just some household materials! (No CNCs, no 3D Printers & No Milling Machines)
Posted by TechBuilder on Friday, January 22, 2016

17-year-old Filipino shows us how to make a BB8 Droid

Sunday, January 24, 2016 Business, People

Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach Posted Her Christmas Message And It Is Awesome!

2015 Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach just posted her Christmas message and with that post, one can easily see why this year's Miss Universe has raised the bar by way of possessing not just outward beauty but inward beauty as well.

Pia's post reads:

Wow. Words can't describe how grateful I am for this. It was quite a journey getting here with 3 attempts at winning Miss Philippines. Now, I finally got the best Christmas gift ever – and not just for me, for my country. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who believed in my potential and those who supported me from the beginning. To everyone who voted for me, especially to my fellow countrymen, thank you. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat. To Ariadna, you are an amazing woman and we are now bonded together forever by a unique experience. In the last 3 weeks we were together, I saw how strong and beautiful you are inside and out. You represented your country with honor and I know how proud everyone must be of you. Fate has a plan for you, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead. And to all the fans who are still fighting about this…Please let's all stop now. The Miss Universe Organization is about uniting empowered women from all over the world. Arguing and sending hateful messages to each other defeats the whole purpose. You believe in the message of Miss Universe and so do I. Again, thank you for the love. I'm excited to begin my duties as Miss Universe and I wish everyone, all the contestants and all the supporters a great holiday with their loved ones. Happy Holidays and let's look forward to a great start to the new year! #MissUniverse - Pia

Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach Posted Her Christmas Message And It Is Awesome!

Friday, December 25, 2015 Pageants, People

Less Effort More Style Event at The Palace Pool Club on June 30

This June 30, #AxeBlackFabio paints the Palace Pool Club black with his first ever pop-up bar.

Expect his take on #LessEffortMoreStyle.




Click on this link to know more:

http://goclick.sharethisstory.net/ph-552086-2216?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=

Less Effort More Style Event at The Palace Pool Club on June 30

Friday, June 26, 2015 Bars, Events, Hot, Lifestyle, Metro Manila, Parties, People

Bacolod Hosts National Frisbee Championships

Actor and Frisbee player Derek Ramsay will be joining the 2015
Frisbee National Championships on May 30-31 at the Bantug Polo Field
and Panaad Park and Stadium

Bacolod City will play host to around 300 Frisbee players from across the country in order to compete in the 2015 Frisbee National Championships scheduled May 30-31 at the Bantug Polo Field and Panaad Park and Stadium.

During an interview at the Bacolod People’s House, Peng Manlapaz, president of the Philippine Flying Disc Association, said that the first documented tournament for Frisbee was held in Bacolod in 1982. “I think it’s just right that we bring back this competition here in Bacolod,” he said.

Manlapaz stressed that 16 teams from Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will vie for the title and earn the opportunity to represent the country in the forthcoming Asia-Oceania Ultimate Championships in November in Hong Kong.

Of the listed teams, eight will be coming from Visayas, which include the defending champion Dumaguete, Iloilo, two from Cebu, two from Boracay, Region 8 Selection, and host-Bacolod Mascobados.

Phil Rodriguez of the Frisbee United Negros said the Mascobados will banner 23 players from University of StLa Salle, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, La Carlota City, Kabankalan City, and Bacolod City.

Manlapaz revealed thatamong the known personalities competing in this two-day eventare actor Derek Ramsay and actress Guila Alvarez-Bautista.

Bacolod Hosts National Frisbee Championships

Saturday, May 30, 2015 Adventure, City-Bacolod, Frisbee, More Fun In The Philippines, morefunphilippines.org, Negros Island, People, Sports

Why Bacolod Golf Club (Binitin) is not in Bacolod

Someone asked on FB, "Why is Bacolod Golf Club (Binitin) not in Bacolod but in Murcia?". 

The answer...because the original Bacolod Golf Club was in Bacolod.  It just moved to Murcia close to 50 years ago.

Meet Joe Rates.  He was a stowaway from Iloilo.  Upon landing in Bacolod in the 1960s, his uncle who was the bartender at  the original Bacolod Golf Club in Mandalagan, recommended him to the club management to be an assistant.  Assistant bartender Joe Rates became.

Knowing nothing about golf, Joe started practicing and eventually learned and played the original Bacolod Golf Club course during caddies' days which were Monday and Friday.  Those days, Joe would regularly lose to the caddies and the caddies who won bets over Joe, would be eagerly waiting for him during the 15th and 30th of the month to collect their winnings when Joe got his salary.

Joe was unfazed.  He kept on practicing and eventually started winning.  Sooner than later, Joe was in the company of the greats - Arda, Tugot, you name them.  He traveled abroad to play and even played the Old Course at St. Andrews!

Why am I telling this story?  Well, just to let you know that we're hearing this firsthand from a native of the original Bacolod Golf Club.  The Bacolod Golf Club which was in Bacolod - not the one currently in Binitin, Murcia (the transfer will be another story on this blog).

So, where was the original Bacolod Golf Club?  What is it today?  Two questions answered by one word.

Capitolville.

Related Post :

Revisiting Cuadra Street : The Street Which Made Bacolod Chicken Inasal Popular

Bacolod City's famous chicken dish inasal (barbecued chicken) has spread far and wide across the globe reaching not just the United States of America but also the Middle East.  Unknown to many is the fact long before it reached foreign shores, inasal's humble beginnings are traced back to a small street in Bacolod known as Cuadra......Read More

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Why Bacolod Golf Club (Binitin) is not in Bacolod

Wednesday, April 01, 2015 City-Bacolod, Golf, Golf Courses, People