CAGAYAN DE ORO — Dabawenya Yvon Bisera shook off an uneven start and caught fire on the back nine, stringing together three consecutive birdies from No. 15 to shoot a four-under-par 68 and take a commanding four-shot lead in the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship on Monday.
Bisera opened with bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5 as her iron play faltered, but she regrouped and made six birdies to take control of the opening round of the 54-hole, P1.25-million tournament at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club.
The Davao City ace’s strong finish gave her a four-stroke cushion over reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion Sarah Ababa, who carded an even-par 72 after mixing three birdies with three bogeys.
Tiffany Lee and Velinda Castil shot 73s, while Martina Miñoza and Daniella Uy settled for 74s. Princess Superal and her amateur sister, Ace Superal, each turned in a 76. Rev Alcantara and Angela Mangana carded 77s as players battled the heat and the course’s demanding layout.
Bisera refused to let her early mistakes derail her round. She found her rhythm with birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 before stepping up her attack on the back nine, where four more birdies turned a shaky start into a dominant performance.
“My driving was good, but my irons weren’t sharp on the front nine, and I missed two greens,” Bisera said in Filipino, explaining how she recovered after struggling early. (The late start exposed players to sweltering conditions, but Bisera said the heat eased as the round progressed.
“It was extremely hot when we started late, but the temperature eased a little on the back nine,” she said.
Bisera began her recovery on the par-5 seventh, then hit a solid 95-yard approach to set up a tap-in birdie on No. 9. She sustained the momentum on the back nine and capped her round with three straight birdies from No. 15.
The 68 further boosted the two-time winner's confidence this year. Bisera won in a playoff at Lakewood and claimed a runaway victory at Pradera Verde before finishing ninth in a recent Taiwan LPGA tournament co-sanctioned by the LPGT.
She said the international campaign strengthened her confidence heading into the LPGT stop, which returned to Pueblo de Oro after a lengthy absence.
“My confidence is high after the way I played in Taiwan,” Bisera said.
She praised the course’s condition, particularly its greens, but warned that the long par-3s and challenging 18th hole would demand precision throughout the tournament.
“The course is in good shape, and the greens are nice, although the par-3s are quite long,” she said. “The 18th is also one of the toughest holes because trouble is waiting almost everywhere, especially around the green.”
Despite her sizeable lead, Bisera said she still needs to sharpen her game to stay ahead of the field as she pursues another title and her first LPGT Order of Merit crown.
“I need to be sharper with my driving and irons, and I have to keep putting well,” she said.
Gretchen Villacencio briefly moved into contention after shooting a two-under 35 on the back nine, taking advantage of the early struggles of several favored players. But she faltered on the way home with a 43 on the front nine to finish at 78, tied for 11th with Monica Mandario and amateur Isabella Tabanas. PR