Singson seeks match-play spark in Anvaya title defense

Mafy Singson will look to recapture her match-play form when she defends her title at the ICTSI Anvaya Cove Match Play Invitational from Nov. 18 to 20 in Morong, Bataan.

Singson enters the PHP 1,500,000 championship without a victory and with one runner-up finish in eight Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) appearances this season.

She finished 12th in the LPGT Order of Merit, but last year’s title run showed her ability to recover from early struggles in the head-to-head format.

At The Country Club in 2025, Singson overcame an inconsistent putting touch and edged Daniella Uy by one hole in the semifinals after making a birdie on No. 17.

She then defeated Martina Miñoza, 6 and 5, in the final, closing out the match with five holes remaining.

The season-ending event is organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and brings together the top 16 players from the eight-leg LPGT season.

Singson’s best tour result this year was second place behind Harmie Constantino at Caliraya Springs.

She also tied for ninth at Lakewood and sixth at Pinewoods, before finishing tied for 12th at Summit Point, 18th at South Pacific and 13th at Apo.

Earlier in the year, she tied for 37th at the Philippine Ladies Open and 31st at the Kenda Tires Open in Taiwan, an event co-sanctioned by the LPGT and Taiwan LPGA Tour.

Singson will face No. 5 Sarah Ababa in the opening round at Anvaya Cove.

Order of Merit winner Yvon Bisera, who claimed her first season-long title this year, will meet No. 16 Angela Mangana.

No. 2 Constantino faces Chihiro Ikeda, No. 3 Tiffany Lee takes on Rev Alcantara, and No. 4 Chanelle Avaricio meets Kim Seoyun.

The other first-round matches pit Miñoza against Velinda Castil, Gretchen Villavicencio against Monica Mandario, and Princess Superal against Uy.

In match play, golfers compete to win individual holes rather than record the lowest aggregate score, allowing a player to recover from a poor hole without carrying the extra strokes through the rest of the match.

The format also requires players to adjust to their opponents and respond quickly to shifts in momentum.