GEN. TRIAS, Cavite – Mafy Singson secured her first professional title in dramatic fashion, edging Florence Bisera in a sudden death playoff at the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship on Wednesday.
Battling scorching heat and mounting pressure, Singson delivered a clutch performance to claim victory.
The playoff was a test of nerves. On the first sudden death hole at No. 18, Singson overshot the green but salvaged par with a superb chip. Bisera had a long birdie attempt but failed to convert, forcing both players back to the tee.
On the second playoff hole, Singson reached regulation on the par-4 closing hole while Bisera missed the green and failed to get up-and-down. With a steady two-putt par, Singson sealed her breakthrough win—a milestone moment for the SEA Games and Queen Sirikit Cup veteran.
The road to the playoff was anything but easy. Singson sank a crucial birdie putt on No. 16 and parred the final two holes to post a 78, forcing a tie at 232 with Bisera. The latter had surged ahead with an impressive 32 on the back nine, highlighted by an eagle on No. 12. Her final-round 72 was the day’s best in grueling conditions.
“I was nervous heading into the playoff since it was my first sudden death experience,” Singson said. “But I reminded myself that I’ve trained for this, so I just had to trust my ability to perform under pressure.”
Despite lingering nerves, she executed a clutch par save, shifting the pressure onto Bisera, who faltered in their return to No. 18.
“By the second sudden death hole, I treated it like a regular round rather than a playoff, and that helped me stay composed,” added Singson, who pocketed PHP90,000 for her first professional victory.
The brutal conditions at the Faldo course pushed players to their limits, with shifting winds and relentless heat sending scores soaring. Singson’s triumph was a testament to her resilience, proving she could endure and excel under the harshest tests of skill and character.
The win was especially meaningful for Singson, who turned professional exactly a year ago. After a rookie season filled with near misses, she entered this year’s tour with renewed determination. Encouraged by swing coach Bong Lopez, who constantly reminded her she had what it takes to succeed, Singson remained steadfast in her pursuit of victory—one that finally came at Eagle Ridge.
A missed cut at the ICTSI-WWL Group Philippine Ladies Masters and a distant seventh-place finish at Pradera Verde didn’t suggest an imminent breakthrough. However, she defied expectations with a hard-fought win.
Singson started the tournament with an 80 but rebounded with a second-round 74 to seize the lead as other contenders faltered. She built a three-shot advantage despite an outward 37 in the final round, only to suffer a quadruple bogey on No. 10 that opened the door for multiple challengers.
Despite the setback, she held her ground when it mattered most.
For Bisera, the loss was heartbreaking. A birdie-less front nine (40) left her trailing, but she mounted a sensational back-nine charge, birdieing Nos. 10 and 11, eagling No. 12, and adding another birdie on No. 14. A bogey on 16 briefly stalled her momentum, but a clutch birdie on 18 forced the playoff.
Her 72 underscored the difficulty of the course, as her 16-over total still put her in contention for the title.
Tiffany Lee finished third at 234 after a final-round 73, while Chanelle Avaricio and Sarah Ababa shared fourth at 235.
First-round leader Gretchen Villacencio, who reentered the title chase at the turn, faded with late bogeys and double bogeys, closing with a 79 for seventh at 237.
Lois Kaye Go (80) settled for eighth at 238, while Kayla Nocum (81) finished ninth at 239.
Former tour winner Sunshine Baraquiel rebounded with a 73 to tie for 10th at 240 alongside Velinda Castil (78) and Marvi Monsalve (84).
Reflecting on her breakthrough win, Singson emphasized the importance of patience and course management.
“I learned this week that you can’t fight the course. You have to respect it, take your pars, and understand that in these conditions, a par often feels like a birdie,” she said.
While this victory differed from her past amateur LPGT wins—where she bested professionals at Splendido Taal (2022) and Valley (2023)—it was even sweeter, marking a defining moment in her pro career.
The long-awaited win signals a new chapter for Singson, one where she hopes to build momentum and chase more success on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
