Bisera's ace seals LPGT OoM; Que rules anew

A clutch ace at the most crucial moment saved Yvon Bisera's season and delivered one of the narrowest victories in Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) Order of Merit (OoM) history while Angelo Que relied on consistency and a strong early-season surge to secure a second straight PGT OoM crown.

Both fashioned out two victories to seize early control of their respective OoM races, but neither had an easy ride to the coveted season-ending plum. As the circuit unfolded, a host of determined challengers emerged, turning the races into gripping battles of momentum, resilience and nerves, with the women's title eventually decided by a razor-thin P4,550 margin.

While Que built a comfortable cushion through a series of strong finishes in the closing legs, Bisera saw her once-commanding position come under serious threat, setting up a dramatic showdown with Harmie Constantino in the final stop at Apo.

The ladies' race proved particularly unpredictable, with the lead changing in significance from one leg to the next and the outcome remaining uncertain until the final round.

Bisera had seen her bid for a third leg victory fall short by just one stroke to Chanelle Avaricio at Summit Point. She came up two shots short of Tiffany Lee at Pueblo de Oro, then struggled to make a bigger impression at home at South Pacific, settling for fourth.

Still, she carried the OoM lead into the Apo finale, albeit with Constantino closing in. And when Bisera opened with a 74 and followed it up with a 73 in the second round, the door swung wide open for Constantino, who was coming off a four-win campaign in 2024 and had saved her best performance for the season's final leg.

Constantino made her move count, claiming the Apo leg by two strokes and putting Bisera's OoM crown on the line. At one point, the Davaoeña ace faced the prospect of finishing sixth and losing the season-long race by a mere P2,000 in earnings.

Then came the shot that changed everything.

Bisera aced the 17th hole of Apo, turning a potentially costly finish into a joint third-place effort with Avaricio and Princess Superal. It was a timely breakthrough that kept her in the money and, ultimately, preserved her place atop the rankings.

Her P83,750 share of the combined third- to fifth-place purse of P251,250 lifted her season earnings to P704,150, just enough to edge Constantino, whose P162,500 prize at Apo brought her total to P699,600, including her victory at Caliraya Springs.

The difference: a stunning P4,550.

Reflecting on her victory, Bisera admitted that she did not initially expect to contend for the OoM title, but a crucial hole-in-one on the final day ultimately proved decisive.

“Going into Apo, I wasn’t really thinking about the OoM title. But looking back, that hole-in-one on the final day was probably the biggest turning point and the main reason I was able to secure the OoM crown this year,” Bisera said.