Crucial birdie puts Bisera on top

CABANATUAN CITY — Yvon Bisera delivered a clutch finishing kick, draining a pressure-packed birdie down the stretch to card a three-under 69 and wrest a two-shot lead over Sarah Ababa at the start of the ICTSI Lakes Championship at Lakewood Golf and Country Club here on Tuesday.

Bisera leaned on steady ball-striking and a sizzling putter, needing just 27 putts to outduel a crowded leaderboard that shifted throughout a sweltering, windless day. Her round, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 No. 4, saw her close with a gritty par-birdie-par stretch to wrest control late.

“My driving and irons were good, but I really banked on my putting,” Bisera said.

“Finishing with only 27 putts is an achievement.”

Unfazed by the heat, the Davao native noted the conditions were nothing new.

“I’m used to this kind of condition. This is also the same as what we have in Davao,” she said, drawing confidence from the course setup, which she said mirrors her home track.

“The layout is similar to South Pacific, so I’m quite familiar.”

Looking ahead, she aims to capitalize on the par-5s to widen her advantage.

“I need to birdie the par-5s because they’re short for me,” Bisera said.

Ababa, the reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion, kept within striking distance with a 71. She highlighted her round with an eagle on the par-5 eighth, then rebounded from back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 with a birdie on the 14th.

Unlike Bisera, Ababa aims to stay steady with her putting in the final two rounds of the P1.2-million championship sponsored by ICTSI.

Harmie Constantino briefly threatened after a birdie on No. 8 and a steady string of pars but faltered with a costly mistake on the 18th, settling for a 72 and a share of third with Seoyun Kim and Martina Miñoza.

A tightly packed field looms behind. Defending champion Tiffany Lee, along with Kayla Nocum and Lois Kaye Go, carded identical 73s, while Mafy Singson and Daniella Uy posted 74s — setting the stage for a potentially wide-open battle in the remaining rounds of the 54-hole tournament.

Meanwhile, Marvi Monsalve, Princess Superal and Chanelle Avaricio will need strong bounce-back performances to wheel back into contention.