Avaricio, Bisera banner South Pacific cast

With less than P100,000 separating the top three players in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s (LPGT) Order of Merit (OoM) race, the ICTSI South Pacific Classic looms as a pivotal battleground in the chase for the season’s top honors, with Chanelle Avaricio seeking another victory to bolster her bid and Yvon Bisera determined to protect her lead.

Avaricio, who has captured two titles this season at Pinewoods and Summit Point via one-stroke victories, joins Bisera, the winner at Lakewood and Pradera Verde, in a high-stakes showdown in the P1.25-million championship blasting off Tuesday at South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City.

Bisera leads the OoM derby with P439,150, followed by former OoM champion Harmie Constantino with P377,100 and Avaricio with P358,600. The narrow margins leave the standings wide open, with the South Pacific Classic and the season-ending leg at Apo the following week offering crucial opportunities to seize the lead or strengthen a title bid.

Fresh from her breakthrough victory at last week’s Pueblo de Oro leg, Tiffany Lee has also moved into contention, boosting her OoM earnings to P318,350.

The young Korean ended a two-year title drought after outlasting Bisera in a tense, back-and-forth final-round duel marked by precision and poise. Lee had burst onto the LPGT scene with a victory in her professional debut at Splendido Taal in 2024.

But the South Pacific battle is shaping up to be more than a rematch between Avaricio and Bisera, or even a three-player contest with Lee in the mix. Together with Avaricio, Mafy Singson returns from a challenging but valuable campaign on the China Tour, while a deep field of contenders looks to make its move with only two legs left on the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Defending her position among the leading contenders is Sarah Ababa, the reigning OoM champion, who is due for another title run after settling for a share of the runner-up honors in a three-way playoff at Lakewood. She has since recorded four consecutive finishes of fifth or better, underscoring her consistency heading into the Davao swing.

Ababa also has fond memories of South Pacific, having won the event last year by edging Bisera by one stroke. Another strong showing could put her back in the thick of both the tournament and season-long title races.