STA. ROSA, Laguna — What Mafy Singson expected to be a grind turned into a stunning showcase of dominance at the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational. On Friday, she overpowered Martina Miñoza with a commanding 6&5 victory, a result that surprised everyone — including Singson herself.

Struggling with her putting all week, Singson finally found her rhythm the moment she stepped onto the green. Her first putt of the day — smooth, confident, dead-center — set the tone. From there, every subsequent putt seemed to fall with inevitability, slowly crushing any hopes of a Miñoza comeback.

After birdieing the opening hole, Singson seized control by taking the fourth, sixth, and the next two holes, storming to a five-hole advantage at the turn. Miñoza, known for her steadiness, searched for momentum but never found it, conceding the match after just 13 holes.

“I honestly thought we’d go the full 18,” Singson admitted, acknowledging Miñoza’s normally sharp iron play and calm short game. “I didn’t expect to win by this margin, but my putts just kept going in.”

This dominance was a stark contrast to her nerve-wracking semifinal against Daniella Uy, where Singson had scraped through with a tense 1-up victory. But despite the lopsided final score, Singson refused to call it easy.

“It really wasn’t,” she said. “I was striking the ball well and felt confident with my putting. That confidence was there from the first hole.”

The win was also deeply personal. Singson dedicated it to her grandfather, who had passed away just 40 days earlier. As she closed out the match on the 13th hole, rain began falling over the TCC course.

“As soon as I won, it rained,” she said, tears welling. “I think it was him… showering me.”

Singson admitted she had been frustrated after failing to win at her home course, Apo Golf, the previous month — a tournament where she had hoped to honor her grandfather. This time, she felt she had made him proud.

Her victory at TCC capped a two-win season, adding to her earlier playoff triumph over Florence Bisera at Eagle Ridge. Conquering the formidable TCC layout, long considered a challenge for her, made the triumph even sweeter.

“Winning here at TCC isn’t something everyone can say. So this really means a lot,” she said.

Miñoza, who had defeated last year’s Order of Merit champion Harmie Constantino in the semifinals, took P200,000 but was left unable to match Singson’s unstoppable performance. Meanwhile, Constantino salvaged third place, routing Uy 4&3 to pocket P150,000, while Uy earned P120,000.

Closing the season third in the Ladies PGT Order of Merit behind Sarah Ababa and Bisera, Singson hopes her strong finish will spark 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 win, however, Singson heads into the next year with renewed confidence, sharper focus, and the memory of her grandfather guiding her every step.