Lee storms back to grab four-shot lead in ICTSI Pueblo de Oro tilt
CAGAYAN DE ORO – Tiffany Lee turned a five-shot deficit into a commanding four-stroke lead in a stunning reversal of fortunes, firing a bogey-free 67 to seize control of the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship on Tuesday and move within 18 holes of ending a two-year title drought.
In a dramatic turnaround at the P1.25-million Ladies Philippine Golf Tour event, the young Korean capitalized on Yvon Bisera’s back-nine meltdown, transforming a deficit into a commanding position heading into Wednesday’s final round.
Lee, who opened with a 73, surged from five shots behind with a two-day 140, while Bisera, the overnight leader after a superb opening 68, saw her lead evaporate in a disastrous stretch that featured back-to-back double bogeys. She limped home with a 76 for a 144, leaving her four strokes behind the player she had comfortably led through the first 18 holes.
It was a remarkable reversal on a course that demands resilience at every turn — and one that proved unforgiving when Bisera’s game began to unravel.
Bisera appeared firmly in control early, recovering from two opening bogeys in the first round to reel off six birdies and build a four-shot cushion over Sarah Ababa. She looked poised to consolidate that advantage Tuesday, matching Lee’s early charge with a steady frontside 35 as the Korean scorched the front nine in 32.
But the momentum swung violently at the turn.
Bisera suffered costly double bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11, while Lee kept her card clean with routine pars, suddenly vaulting into a two-shot lead. The overnight leader could not arrest the slide, managing six consecutive pars before dropping another stroke on the 18th for a disastrous 76.
Lee, meanwhile, kept her nerve and refused to give the course — or the pressure — an opening. She birdied No. 16 for the second straight day and closed with a five-under card without a bogey, completing an eight-stroke swing from Bisera’s opening-round advantage.
“My putting was excellent today, and I hit a lot of greens in regulation, so I’m really happy with how I played,” said Lee.
A timely equipment change also helped fuel her charge. On her father’s advice, she switched from a 10-degree driver to a 9-degree model after struggling to find the desired distance in the opening round.
“It was windy out there, and changing drivers gave me more distance. That meant shorter clubs into the greens, which was a big key to my low score,” said Lee.
Although she found only seven fairways, Lee made up for her wayward driving with improved distance off the tee, shorter approaches and a putter that repeatedly came to the rescue.
Still, her round was far from a trouble-free march to the top.
The defining moment came on the par-5 15th, where Lee briefly flirted with disaster before producing the kind of recovery that can turn a round — and perhaps a tournament — around.
With the pressure mounting as Bisera stumbled behind her, Lee elected to attack with a 3-wood on her second shot rather than play conservatively. The decision backfired when she hooked the ball and feared it had found a hazard.
She eventually located her ball, but in an awkward lie. Forced to scramble, Lee played out and advanced it as far as she could toward the green, leaving herself with a long putt to save par.
She drained it.
“I was really feeling the pressure, and I nearly made a big mistake on No. 15,” Lee said. “I went for the 3-wood instead of playing it safe and hooked the shot. I thought the ball had gone into a hazard, but I found it in a bad lie. I just played out and tried to get it as close to the green as I could.”
“Fortunately, I made it to the green and sank a very, very long putt for par. That was the turning point for me,” she said.
The escape steadied Lee at a crucial juncture. She followed with another birdie on No. 16, then maintained her composure over the closing holes to complete a round that combined attacking golf, timely putting and a vital dose of fortune.
The 18-year-old now has a golden opportunity to rediscover the winning touch that marked her explosive arrival on the professional circuit.
Lee burst onto the LPGT scene in 2024, winning the Splendido Taal crown in her professional debut after an impressive Junior PGT campaign that included a playoff victory over seasoned campaigner Chihiro Ikeda for the Lakewood title earlier that year. Her camp subsequently encouraged her to turn professional at just 16, and she immediately justified the move by overcoming a strong field in challenging conditions at Splendido.
The breakthrough, however, was followed by a string of less convincing results. A tie for fourth at Summit Point and a recent stint on the Taiwan LPGA circuit offered encouraging signs, but her performance at Pueblo de Oro now puts her on the verge of another major triumph.
Standing between Lee and a return to the winner’s circle is Bisera, whose bid for a third victory this year took a severe hit after her costly back-nine collapse. The two-leg winner at Lakewood and Pradera Verde still has 18 holes to mount a recovery, but she will need a far steadier performance to overcome the four-shot deficit.
Gretchen Villacencio carded a 71 to tie Martina Miñoza, who struggled to a 75, for third at 149, nine strokes off Lee’s pace.
Velinda Castil shot a 77 to join Ababa, who faltered with a 78, in fifth at 150, leaving the championship increasingly shaped by the duel between Lee’s surging confidence and Bisera’s bid to recover from a costly day of missed opportunities.
After Tuesday’s wild swing in momentum, Lee holds the advantage – and the chance to turn a remarkable comeback into a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle. (Pool story)
- Latest
- Trending
