MANILA, Philippines — What began as a high-stakes duel quickly turned into a runaway, a back-nine grind, and ultimately a nerve-wracking, one-stroke escape for Chanelle Avaricio at the ICTSI Summit Point Championship.
Avaricio absorbed an early push from Apple Fudolin before unleashing a decisive front-nine birdie run to take command of the field. However, she was forced to dig deep on the final hole to hold off a furious late charge from Yvon Bisera and secure another Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) title.
Playing with steady poise, Avaricio built a comfortable cushion with a blistering front-nine 32. But in the flight ahead, Bisera—coming off a victory at Pradera Verde—fired a scorching 6-under 66 to shrink a six-stroke deficit down to just one with nine holes remaining.
Unfazed by the pressure, Avaricio calmly secured a two-putt par on the 18th green to finish with a final-round 68 and a 4-under 212 total. The clutch finish allowed her to edge Bisera (213) by a single shot, denying her rival a third victory this season.
The P125,000 triumph marks Avaricio’s second LPGT title of the year following her win at Pinewoods in July. It also served as a sweet moment of redemption for the 27-year-old coming off a missed cut at last week’s China LPGA Tour event, made even more special on the course where she serves as golf ambassador.
"I think going into the last day, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to win," Avaricio admitted. "I just tried to focus on the moment and take it shot by shot, knowing every single shot mattered."
Avaricio looked in control early on, matching Fudolin's birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes before capitalizing on Fudolin's back-to-back bogeys on the 5th and 7th. Birdies on the 8th and 9th gave Avaricio a four-shot lead at the turn, putting her in prime position before Bisera’s late surge set up the tense final-hole finish. TMT
