STA. Rosa, Laguna – Bracing for what she thought would be a grind-it-out match, Mafy Singson instead walked away from the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational Final with a commanding 6&5 triumph over Martina Miñoza on Friday – an outcome no one, including Singson herself, saw coming.
Struggling with her putting touch all week, Singson finally found her rhythm the moment she stepped onto the green. Her first putt of the day – smooth, confident and dead-center – set the tone. From there, the cup seemed to widen for her, each putt falling with a kind of inevitability that slowly drained any hopes of a Miñoza comeback.
After birdieing the opening hole, Singson seized control by taking the fourth, sixth and the two holes that followed, storming to a commanding five-hole advantage at the turn.
Miñoza, known for her steadiness and resilience, kept searching for a spark but never found the momentum she needed and yielded the match after just 13 holes.
“I honestly thought we’d go the full 18,” said Singson, acknowledging her opponent’s normally sharp iron play and composed short game. “I didn’t expect to win by this margin, but my putts just kept going in.”
They did – almost effortlessly, relentlessly.
A stark contrast from the pressure-filled semifinal against Daniella Uy, where Singson had to dig deep for a nerve-wracking 1-up victory.
But despite the lopsided score in the final, Singson, who banked P280,000, refused to call it easy.
Miñoza received P200,000.
Meanwhile, Harmie Constantino salvaged a measure of pride by stamping her class in the battle for third, routing Uy with a decisive 4&3 victory. Regaining her rhythm after a tough semis exit, Constantino controlled the match from the early holes and never allowed Uy to mount a serious charge.
With the win, Constantino pocketed ₱150,000, while Uy settled for ₱120,000 after a gritty but challenging week.
As Singson closes the season third in the Ladies PGT Order of Merit behind Sarah Ababa and Bisera, she hopes her strong finish sparks greater consistency, both locally and internationally.
“I’ve been playing on the China Tour but haven’t been doing so well. I’ll have to re-qualify again,” she said.
With this resounding victory, however, Singson heads into the next year with renewed confidence, sharper focus and the memory of her grandfather guiding her forward.
