GARDEN CITY, Kansas — Clariss Guce and Tomi Arejola gave Philippine golf an unexpected double boost at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic, firing matching four-under-par 68s to put themselves just two shots off the lead after the opening round at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course.
While much of the pre-tournament attention surrounded big-hitting Bianca Pagdanganan, it was Guce and Arejola who emerged as the strongest Filipina performers Friday in Kansas, turning an unusually low-scoring opening day into an early opportunity to challenge for the Epson Tour title.
Australian Jennifer Elliott and Malaysia’s Mirabel Ting set the pace at six-under 66, while Guce and Arejola finished the round tied for 10th at four-under. The official Epson Tour leaderboard confirmed Elliott and Ting sharing the lead, with several players packed closely behind them.
The tournament, scheduled from August 28 to 30 at Buffalo Dunes, is a 54-hole event carrying a $200,000 purse and 500 Race for the Card points, making every position particularly valuable as the Epson Tour season approaches its decisive final stretch.
Guce Turns Early Bogey Into a Charge
Guce, already a two-time Epson Tour winner, showed why she remains one of the Philippines’ most experienced campaigners on the developmental circuit.
Starting on the back nine, Guce bogeyed the 11th hole but immediately responded with a birdie-eagle combination beginning at No. 13.
She added three more birdies against just one additional bogey over the remainder of her round and finished with consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 to sign for a 68.
The result gave Guce a genuine chance to contend for another Epson Tour victory rather than simply fight for weekend survival.
Her experience could become increasingly important with the leaderboard so compressed. The official first-round standings showed 63 players under par, emphasizing how costly even a short stretch of bogeys could become.
Arejola Produces One of Her Most Important Rounds
Perhaps the bigger surprise came from Tomi Arejola.
The 25-year-old Filipina, who joined the Epson Tour in 2024, entered the tournament still searching for the breakthrough result that could elevate her standing on the circuit. Epson Tour records show that Arejola has yet to record a career victory or Top-10 finish on the tour.
That could soon change.
Arejola attacked early, making three birdies over her first six holes. She remained aggressive after the turn, adding another two birdies while surrendering only one bogey to complete her own 68.
For a player trying to establish herself deeper into the Epson Tour hierarchy, the next two rounds could therefore mean considerably more than another made cut.
She is only two strokes behind the leaders.
Pagdanganan Suddenly Fighting to Stay Alive
The opening round delivered the opposite result for Pagdanganan.
Coming off a tie for 15th at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic, the Filipina power hitter entered Kansas appearing to have rediscovered some momentum.
Instead, she stumbled to a two-over 74 and fell to a share of 100th place.
Pagdanganan managed an early birdie but gave the shot back at the par-3 eighth before dropping additional strokes at Nos. 11 and 16.
With scoring exceptionally low and the projected cut around even par after the opening round, her task has become straightforward but difficult: go low in Round 2 or risk an early exit.
The timing makes the setback especially significant.
Pagdanganan and Pauline del Rosario are preparing to represent the Philippines at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled to hold its golf competition from September 30 to October 3. Rianne Malixi is also part of the Philippine women’s lineup.
Pagdanganan and Del Rosario are also expected to miss the season-ending Epson Tour Championship because it overlaps with the Asian Games, increasing the importance of their remaining competitive opportunities before Japan.
Del Rosario Hangs Around, Ardina Needs a Rally
Pauline del Rosario survived a difficult opening stretch to shoot an even-par 72.
She began with a damaging double bogey on the par-5 10th but fought back with three birdies while surrendering only one additional bogey.
That left her around the projected cut line entering Round 2.
Dottie Ardina faces a more difficult recovery.
After opening strongly with consecutive birdies, the two-time Olympian stumbled late, including three successive bogeys beginning at the fifth hole, and finished with a one-over 73.
She ended the opening round tied for 88th.
Unlike Arejola and Del Rosario, however, Ardina and Guce entered this late-season stretch already positioned inside the Epson Tour’s season-long Top 80, giving them stronger footing in the race toward the tour finale.
Yuka Saso’s LPGA Struggles Continue
Elsewhere in the United States, two-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso endured another difficult week on the LPGA Tour.
Saso shot rounds of 78 and 77 at the FM Championship for an 11-over 155 total, missing the cut. Independent scoring reports confirm the 78-77 finish.
The result continued a difficult August after Saso also missed the cuts at the Portland Classic and CPKC Women’s Open. Her stronger recent result came at the AIG Women’s Open, where the Japanese star managed one of her better performances of the season.
The Bigger Story Heading Into Round 2
For Philippine golf, the opening day in Kansas created two dramatically different races.
Pagdanganan must now produce the kind of explosive scoring she has demonstrated before simply to stay in the tournament.
Guce and Arejola have an entirely different opportunity.
They are no longer chasing the cut.
They are chasing the leaders.
And for Arejola in particular, another strong round could transform what began as a promising Friday into one of the most important weekends of her young Epson Tour career.
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