The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour resumes Tuesday, May 19, with the staging of the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship, featuring a loaded cast of leg winners, seasoned campaigners and rising stars all eager to make an early statement.
Bannering the field are Yvon Bisera and Mafy Singson, both returning in top form after sharpening their games overseas during the LPGT break.
Bisera heads to Caliraya brimming with confidence following her victory at the Lakewood Championship in Cabanatuan last March, where she edged Sarah Ababa and LK Go in a playoff. Armed with a steady all-around game and proven composure under pressure, she looms as one of the strongest contenders for back-to-back victories.
Singson, meanwhile, returns battle-tested after campaigns on the China and Thailand tours, experiences she believes have elevated both her confidence and consistency.
“I’m looking forward to playing at Caliraya again. I always enjoy playing the course,” said Singson, who tied for seventh here last year.
The young Filipina star said she hardly stepped away from competition during the LPGT break.
“I’ve been playing tournaments in China and Thailand and it’s always fun to be back on the local tour,” she said.
“I’ve been practicing pretty much every day as usual and I’ve been staying more consistent with my fitness and recovery. I’m ready to play and just hoping everything comes together,” added Singson.
Already a winner on the LPGT after edging Bisera in sudden death at Eagle Ridge and capturing the Match Play Championship at The Country Club last year, Singson appears primed for another strong title run in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
The tournament could have gained even more intrigue with the return of Pauline del Rosario, but the Epson Tour campaigner withdrew at the last minute from the P1 million championship to prepare for her breakthrough stint in the LPGA’s premier major championship.
Del Rosario, whose campaign is supported by ICTSI, recently secured one of the final two berths in the US Women’s Open set June 4-7 at Riviera Golf Club in Pacific Palisades, California, surviving a grueling 36-hole sectional qualifier at Cross Timbers Golf Course in Azle, Texas.
After opening with a 67, the former Taiwan LPGA Tour winner battled through a roller-coaster final round before birdying Nos. 13, 14 and 15, then draining a clutch eagle putt on the closing par-5 for a gutsy 70 and a 137 total that sealed her spot in the major championship.
She joins fellow ICTSI-backed campaigner Bianca Pagdanganan and two-time champion Yuka Saso in the season’s second major after Pagdanganan secured her own spot in the US Women’s Open through last week’s Colorado qualifier.
Despite Del Rosario’s absence, the battle for the Caliraya crown still shapes up as one of the season’s most compelling showdowns, with reigning Order of Merit winner Sarah Ababa, 2024 Caliraya Springs champion Harmie Constantino, two-leg winner Tiffany Lee, multi-titled Chihiro Ikeda, Martina Miñoza, Seoyun Kim, Marvi Monsalve and Gretchen Villacencio all expected to contend.
Adding further depth and excitement to the tournament are four standouts from the Junior PGT – twin sisters Lisa and Mona Sarines, along with Tashanah Balangauan and Precious Zaragosa – as they continue their buildup for the resumption of the junior circuit next month.
