Bisera’s scorching eagle-spiked 68 sparks bid for 2nd overseas crown

MANILA, Philippines — Yvon Bisera came out firing and reignited hopes of another overseas triumph, unleashing an eagle-spiked 68 to trail leaders by two in the China LPGA Tour’s China Golf Women’s Legacy at the Poly Chengdu Golf Club in Sichuan on Thursday.

The Filipina standout set the tone early with a blazing backside charge, birdieing Nos. 12 and 13 before bouncing back from a bogey on the 15th with another birdie on No. 18. Carrying that momentum to the front nine, Bisera delivered the round’s biggest highlight — an eagle on the par-5 second — then added another birdie on No. 4 to surge into early contention.

Though she stumbled with a bogey on the fifth and settled for pars coming home, her 68 was enough to secure solo third at four-under, just two strokes behind local leaders Runzhi Pang and Yijia Ren, who matched 66s.

Pang mixed seven birdies with a bogey, while Ren turned in a bogey-free round highlighted by four birdies on the front and two more on the back.

For Bisera, the strong opening marked a timely rebound after a modest start to her China campaign. She placed eighth in the CLPGA Qualifying but missed the cut in the Chongqing Open and finished tied for 30th in last week’s Tianjin Open.

Now, riding the momentum of her explosive start, the Davao-native shotmaker is not only looking to improve on her recent finishes but also eyeing a breakthrough victory in China — one that would follow her maiden international title on the Thailand LPGA Tour late last year.

Meanwhile, Chanelle Avaricio struggled with a two-over 74, dropping to a tie for 59th as she fights to make the 36-hole cut. She opened with a 37 at the back and bogeyed twice more on the front before salvaging her round with a closing birdie on No. 9.