STA. ROSA, Laguna – Florence Bisera mirrored Arnold Villacencio’s success in the men’s division of the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational, though their triumphs came through very different paths.
While Villacencio drew strength from his daughter Gretchen’s unwavering faith, Bisera leaned on the steady presence of her father, Reynaldo, who played a pivotal role as her caddie.
“Nakatulong ng malaki si Papa kasi nako-control niya ang emotions ko. Kapag kinakabahan na ako, andun cya para i-comfort ako (My Papa was a big help because he helped me control my emotions. Whenever I got nervous, he was there to comfort me),” said Bisera, after edging out Mikha Fortuna’s bid for a back-to-back championship with a hard-fought 2&1 victory here on Friday, Nov. 29. “Magaling din siyang magbasa ng green (He’s also great at reading the greens).”
The Davaoeña golfer, who bowed out in the first round here last year, seized control early in the final in overcast skies, winning three of the first five holes as Fortuna struggled to find her rhythm.
When Fortuna narrowed the gap to one hole on the 15th, Bisera responded with a brilliant approach shot on the challenging par-4 16th, leaving herself a birdie putt. She confidently sank it, regaining a two-hole cushion.
On the par-3 17th, Bisera held her ground, matching Fortuna’s par to close out the match with a 2&1 victory and claim the championship title, along with the P280,000 prize.
Ranked No. 5 in the 16-player field, Bisera’s path to the title was anything but easy. She dispatched Velinda Castil, 4&2, in the first round, dominated Rev Alcantara, 4&3, in the quarterfinals, and survived a tense 1-up semis battle against Daniella Uy.
Fortuna took home P200,000.
Meanwhile, Monsalve and Uy turned their battle for third place into a tightly contested duel, with the former
finally prevailing on the 22nd hole. She earned P150,000, while Uy settled for fourth and pocketed P120,000.
