STA. Rosa, Laguna – Martina Miñoza moved two giant steps closer to a career breakthrough, delivering the tournament’s most jarring upset by eliminating defending champion Florence Bisera, 2&1, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals of the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational here.
Though the margin appears modest, it hardly captures the authority with which Miñoza – long touted as one of Del Monte’s brightest rising stars – controlled the match. She seized two of the first six holes and built a commanding four-up cushion, her shot-making displaying a blend of maturity and daring rarely seen from the young ace.
Bisera, who turned back Mikha Fortuna, 2&1, to clinch the crown last year, mounted a late charge, trimming the deficit and threatening to flip the momentum. But Miñoza answered with poised, pressure-proof pars over the closing stretch to secure the victory on the 17th green.
The result rattled pre-tournament projections and overshadowed Marvi Monsalve’s stunner over top seed Sarah Ababa in the first round of the head-to-head duels among the top performers of the 2025 Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
Miñoza’s win not only removed a heavyweight from the title picture but also signaled her readiness to contend with the tour’s biggest names on one of its toughest stages.
Her semifinal berth completes a compelling last-four cast composed of players who all survived tense, momentum-swinging duels – an unmistakable sign that no gap exists among the contenders on a demanding layout like The Country Club, where the wind shifts moods and strategies in an instant.
Daniella Uy needed every ounce of grit to fend off Monsalve in a seesaw showdown, carving out a nerve-shredding 1-up triumph to book a semis clash with Mafy Singson.
Singson herself had to dig deep, leaning on back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 to finally shake off Tiffany Lee before closing out a 3&1 decision.
Meanwhile, Harmie Constantino displayed trademark steadiness to subdue No. 3 seed Chanelle Avaricio, 3&2, in a duel that featured multiple lead changes and momentum swings.
Constantino’s composure under fire made the difference, allowing her to secure a semis clash with Miñoza in what promises to be a fascinating contrast of styles.
With the P1.5-million season-ending crown and the P280,000 top purse at stake, all four semifinalists head into Thursday’s matches aware that the course demands cleverness, precision and emotional control.
On a layout as exacting as TCC, experience helps – but nerve and adaptability may matter even more.
Singson, a veteran of the course since her junior golf days, understands as much.
“I really want to win since I haven’t won here,” said Singson, who earlier edged Kim Seoyun to advance. “I’ve been playing here since I was 12, so it would really be nice to win here.”
Yet even she knows that no one holds a clear edge this week.
“Lee was very aggressive, and my plan was just to play my game and avoid being too aggressive – that’s where mistakes can come in,” she said.
Against Uy, the China Tour campaigner expects another tactical test.
“I’ll just try to make birdies and focus on each shot,” said Singson.
What’s unfolding at TCC is more than a semifinal lineup – it’s a showcase of parity, resilience and the kind of unpredictability that keeps match play thrilling to the final putt.
