Antipolo—Daniella Uy finally flashed the grit and spunk lacking in her previous campaigns and snapped a two-year search for a second victory and three near-title misses this year by clutching the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic crown here yesterday.
It was as tough as it could get but the former Junior World champion endured the day-long test and pressure to prevail by one over Florence Bisera on a final round 74 for a 212 total over 54 holes of the P1 million championship which served as the seventh leg of this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
“I’m very happy I won this after a lot of misses,” said Uy, heaving a sigh of relief following three failed bids in the first six legs, including a playoff loss to Harmie Constantino at Luisita.
“This (victory) is also very sweet since there will be a two-month break on the LPGT,” added the 2021 Riviera-Langer leg champion, who likewise gained inspiration from the presence of friend Alyssa Valdez, who gamely joined the gallery in the closing holes and turned from a volley superstar to an adoring fan during awards rites, reaching out with her cell phone at the back of the crowd while trying to get a good shot of the winner.
Bisera and Ababa holed out with pars with the former matching Uy’s closing three-over par card for solo second at 213 worth P86,000 and the latter winding up third at 215 after a 75 and receiving P69,000.
Rookie pro Mikhaela Fortuna carded a 73 and placed fourth at 217 after finishing eighth in her first LPGT tournament at Valley while two-leg winner Constantino ended up fifth at 220 after a 73.
Apple Fudolin shot a 73 while Chihiro Ikeda struggled with a 75 as they tied for sixth at 221 while Lois Kaye Go skied to an 80 and wound up eighth at 223 while bagging another low amateur honors in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
More importantly, Uy said the victory, worth P120,000, will serve as a big confidence-boost as she embarks on a new mission next month.
“I feel this win will give me more confidence when I play in Japan next month,” added Uy, who also pocketed the top purse at Valley after finishing second to amateur winner Mafy Singson.
It was indeed a heated final round battle that saw Uy, Bisera and Sarah Ababa change turns at the lead majority of the way until Uy regained it for good despite a two-bogey, birdie-less card after 13 holes marred by a missed par-putt from four feet on No. 8.
Bisera, just a stroke off Uy after 36 holes, and Ababa, another shot farther back, also both went over-par in that stretch with the former, who pulled ahead with a bogey-birdie frontside 35, bogeying the first three holes at the back, and the latter, who also made the turn with an even-par 35, double bogeying the par-4 11th.
As Bisera’s woes extended with another mishap on No. 13 and Ababa made pars in the next two, Uy built a two-shot cushion with her backside run of four pars. But another miscue on No. 14 enabled Ababa to pull within one again with Bisera also looking to pounce in two strokes off the leader.
That turned the last four holes into a battle of nerves and poise but Uy, this time, stood out in the clutch as she steeled herself up and birdied the par-4 17th and went 2-up over Bisera, who put Uy on pins and needles with her own birdie feat on the previous hole.
Uy then wittingly played it safe on the closing par-4 hole, opting for an iron tee-shot and though she came up short on her approach and pitched way past the hole that led to another bogey, she safely claimed the LPGT crown that has eluded her in Iloilo, Villamor and Luisita.
“At the front, I was like focusing on myself and my routine. But I was under pressure in the last four holes after I bogeyed the 13th and lost my rhythm, which I could say, had led to my previous losses,” she added .
“I just told myself to focus on the process whatever happens,” she said.
She did as she hit a clutch birdie on the 17th and went 2-up again and became a two-time winner.
