Bisera shines in wild, stormy finish, edges Superal, Kim by 1

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL – In a wild final round marked by chaos, collapse and weather disruptions, Florence Bisera pulled off a stunning one-stroke victory at the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic on Thursday, overcoming a six-shot deficit at the rain-soaked Marapara Golf and Country Club.

The Davaoeña entered the final round far off the radar, trailing by six strokes and seemingly out of contention for the title.

But Bisera delivered a composed and gritty performance, firing a tournament-best 67 to edge Seo Yun Kim (72) and Princess Superal (74) by a single shot and secure her third career victory with a 54-hole total of 209.

“I didn’t expect to win because I was six shots behind after two rounds,” said Bisera in Filipino.

“I just told myself that I wanted to shoot under par on the final day – that was my only goal. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.”

Bisera credited her putting for the win, drawing comparisons to Pauline del Rosario’s victory over Kim at Binitin the previous week.

Although she missed several birdie opportunities, her putter came alive when it mattered, producing five birdies on a day when scoring was tough across the board.

“When play resumed on No. 15, my only goal was to hit the fairway and reach the green because I knew how tough the course conditions were,” she said.

“But the putt dropped, and on No. 17, my approach shot landed close enough for me to convert another birdie.”

The final round began under hot conditions but ended in chaos as weather delays, mounting pressure, and late-round stumbles reshaped the leaderboard.

Kim, who had seven runner-up finishes and was aiming for her breakthrough win, looked in control after taking a three-shot lead at the turn with birdies on Nos. 4 and 5.

Superal, meanwhile, fell behind early with a double bogey on No. 4 and another dropped shot on No. 6.

But Kim, once again haunted by past close calls, faltered on the back nine, bogeying three times with no birdies, including critical miscues on Nos. 16 and 17.

As Kim and Superal struggled, Bisera – playing one flight ahead – steadily mounted her charge.

She birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 6 to gain ground early, and although she stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 9 and 11, she rebounded with clutch birdies on Nos. 15 and 17.

With play suspended due to rain and her round complete, Bisera waited in the clubhouse with a one-under-par 67 – the lowest round of the day – and a clubhouse lead at 209.

The final holes delivered the kind of tension that defines tournaments.

Superal, needing a birdie on the 18th to tie, missed from long range.

Kim overshot the green on the final hole and managed to save par from the bunker, but it wasn’t enough.

Both settled for a share of second at 210 and split the combined purse of PHP 147,000.

Lois Kaye Go, also in contention for most of the round, faded late with three bogeys in her last five holes, finishing solo fourth with a 72 and a total of 212.

Tiffany Lee closed with a strong 69 to claim fifth at 215, followed by Chanelle Avaricio (71) at 217.

Daniella Uy (74) finished at 218, with Sarah Ababa (70), Kayla Nocum (73) and Gretchen Villacencio (74) rounding out the Top 10 at 220 and 221, respectively.

But the spotlight belonged to Bisera.

With nerves of steel and impeccable timing, she turned a seemingly lost cause into a career-defining moment.

From six strokes back to champion, from overlooked to unforgettable, Bisera’s win embodied the beauty and unpredictability of golf.

In a week when pressure and weather unraveled many, she stood tall – proving that sometimes, the player who finishes early finishes best.