BACOLOD – Pauline del Rosario pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in Ladies Philippine Golf Tour history, rallying from six strokes down to stun Seo Yun Kim with a final-round charge that bordered on the spectacular.
Clutch birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 capped a blistering four-under 66, rattling Kim’s composure and resolve. After dominating the first 36 holes of the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge with rounds of 66 and 68, Kim struggled with a birdie-less 73 in the final round.
That seven-shot swing handed del Rosario a dramatic one-stroke victory at 206 at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club here Thursday – a triumphant return to form for the former LPGT Order of Merit champion.
Kim finished second at 207, her bid to finally score a breakthrough after six runner-up finishes ended in another disappointment.
Defending champion Daniella Uy carded a 69 to grab solo third at 209, while Florence Bisera and Sarah Ababa shared fourth place at 211 after matching 71s, and Mafy Singson surged with a 69 to tie for sixth at 212 alongside Lois Kaye Go (71).
Tiffany Lee’s even-par 70 secured her eighth at 214, while Chihiro Ikeda and Kayla Nocum fired identical 68s to finish joint ninth at 216.
“It feels good to win again, but I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet. I was struggling with my game a lot,” said del Rosario, whose last LPGT win came at Caliraya Springs in 2023 following a brilliant rookie campaign in 2017 that saw her rack up for four victories and win the OOM crown.
She also became the first Filipina to win an event on the LPGA Tour of Taiwan in that same year.
The win marked a meaningful milestone in del Rosario’s comeback journey, following a series of underwhelming performances on the Epson Tour. She admitted she arrived with no expectations after being ill just a week prior.
