Filipina golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan had contrasting starts to their Olympic campaign on Wednesday at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Keeping her cool on a day where temperatures soared to 36 degrees Celsius, Pagdanganan shot a two-under-par 69 that placed her in joint seventh.

She is just three strokes adrift of early leader Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden.

Keeping herself fresh with an ice pack and a fan in between shots, Pagdanganan birdied the first two holes to create momentum then kept her composure when the sweltering heat started to bear down on the Kasimugaseki Golf Club in Saitama.

Pagdanganan made two more birdies against one bogey in her last five holes -- including a near ace on the 16th. She is joined at seventh spot by eight others, including LPGA winners Inbee Park of Korea and American Danielle Kang.

Saso, however, went the other way as she could not get going all day and finished with a three-over 74 that left her in a share of 47th place, needing to make up ground in Thursday's second round to get back in it.

The reigning US Women's Open champion made an early bogey on No. 2, steadied herself in thge mid-round only to slump with successive bogeys from the 16th.

A day before, the humidity put Saso's caddie, Lionel Matichuck, in the hospital. Pagdanganan's coach, Carito Villaroman, meanwhile, suffered from heat stroke and had to go to a clinic inside the course due to dehydration.

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