CABANATUAN City – Under a blazing sun and suffocating pressure, Florence Bisera drained a clutch four-foot birdie putt to outlast Lois Kaye Go in a gripping three-way, four-hole playoff and seize the ICTSI Lakewood Championship crown.
Sarah Ababa ignited the drama in regulation with a fearless assault on the water-guarded 18th, going for the green in two and converting a stunning birdie for a 68. Go shot a 69, while Bisera, seemingly in control for much of the day, faltered late with a 72. The trio finished deadlocked at 210, setting the stage for a sudden-death showdown.
The tension only escalated from there.
Bisera wins riveting playoff
All three birdied the par-4 10th in the opening playoff hole, refusing to blink. But on their return, Ababa’s challenge unraveled with a costly bogey, leaving Bisera and Go locked in a duel defined by precision and poise. Matching pars again, they pressed on to a third trip down the same hole.
Pars followed. Still no separation. Back again on No. 10, Bisera rose to the moment. From 120 yards, she hit a wedge that landed softly and rolled to within four feet of the cup.
Go, who had earlier kept her hopes alive with a clutch birdie from way out, left her approach about 24 feet to the right of the pin. But when her birdie attempt slid past the hole and she settled for par, Bisera made hers.
“Sobrang saya kasi naipanalo ko ang first tournament sa LPGT. It’s a big confidence boost as I focus on my upcoming campaign in China,” said Bisera, who entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Go but struggled with her putting, settling for a 72 in regulation.
“Sa playoff, gumanda ang putting ko. Ang dami kong iniisip sa regulation – what if hindi ko ito maipanalo?” added Bisera, who pocketed P146,400 for her sixth career victory, including a breakthrough in Thailand last year
Go and Ababa received P88,200 each.
Tiffany Lee faltered late with bogeys on the final two holes, including a costly three-putt on the last, slipping to joint fourth at 216 alongside Harmie Constantino and Martina Miñoza, who carded 71 and 72, respectively. Chanelle Avaricio matched the tournament-best 68 to finish seventh at 218, while Daniella Uy placed eighth at 219 after a 73.
Justin Quiban endured a rollercoaster round, rescuing a 70 with a clutch birdie on the 17th to cling to a two-shot lead over Korean Taewon Ha after Thursday’s gripping third round of the men's tournament.
Quiban, who dazzled with a record 62 on Tuesday to build a five-shot cushion at 14-under after 36 holes, found himself scrambling to stay in control as his game wavered and challengers came charging from all sides on Moving Day.
Ha, who started six strokes back, fired a bogey-free 66 highlighted by late birdies, while defending champion Sean Ramos unleashed a power-packed 64 capped by eagles on both back-nine par-5s. Keanu Jahns also kept his title hopes alive with a 66, completing a dramatic reshuffle of the leaderboard.
As Ryan Monsalve faltered with a 73, the spotlight shifted to Ha, Ramos and Jahns, transforming what had seemed like a one-man showcase into a tightly packed battle heading into the final round.
Quiban still led at 16-under 200, but Ha closed in at 202, while Ramos and Jahns lurked at 204 – just four shots separating the top four contenders, guaranteeing a tense, unpredictable finish in the P3 million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. offering a top purse of P532,200.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
