Atimely hole-in-one saved Yvon Bisera’s season, pulling off one of the narrowest victories in Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit history.
Angelo Que relied on consistency to top the men’s earnings race for the second straight season.
Both fashioned out two victories to seize early control of their respective OOM races, but neither had an easy ride to the coveted season-ending title.
The women’s race came down to a mere P4,550.
While Que built a comfortable cushion through a series of strong finishes in the closing legs, Bisera saw her once-commanding position come under serious threat, setting up a dramatic showdown with Harmie Constantino in the final stop at Apo.
Bisera had seen her bid for a third leg victory fall short by just one stroke to Chanelle Avaricio at Summit Point. She came up two shots short of Tiffany Lee at Pueblo de Oro, then struggled to make a bigger impression at home at South Pacific, settling for fourth.
Still, she led the standings entering the finale at Apo, with Constantino closing in. And when Bisera opened with a 74 and followed it up with a 73 in the second round, the door swung wide open for Constantino, top player in 2024 who came up with a huge finish this season.
Constantino won the Apo title by two strokes. At one point, Bisera faced the prospect of finishing sixth and losing the season-long race by a mere P2,000 in earnings.
Then came the shot that changed everything.
Bisera aced the 17th hole, turning a potentially costly finish into a joint third-place effort with Avaricio and Princess Superal. It was a timely breakthrough that kept her in the money and, ultimately, preserved her place atop the rankings.
Her P83,750 share of the combined third- to fifth-place purse of P251,250 lifted her season earnings to P704,150, just enough to edge Constantino, whose P162,500 prize at Apo brought her total to P699,600.
‘Going into Apo, I wasn’t really thinking about the OOM title. But looking back, that hole-in-one on the final day was probably the biggest turning point and the main reason I was able to secure the OOM crown this year,’ said Bisera.
For Bisera, claiming the season-long honor was especially meaningful, considering the challenges she faced throughout the year and the strength of the competition.
‘Winning the OOM title means a lot to me. I’m really happy and grateful to have achieved this, especially after going a long time without a win following my victory at Pradera Verde. Although I wasn’t able to perform as well as I wanted in Mindanao, I’m still thankful to have come out on top, especially with the field being so strong this year,’ she said.
‘My two wins and two runner-up finishes were the biggest factors that helped me win the OOM title. But that clutch hole-in-one on the final day of the last tournament will always be especially memorable for me. I hope this achievement will give me more confidence as I prepare for my international tournaments,’ said Bisera.
Lee wound up third with P650,000, her bid for a maiden OOM title derailed by a difficult Apo campaign that saw her settle for a share of eighth place.
Avaricio finished fourth with P588,600 despite winning three legs at Pinewoods, Summit Point and South Pacific, her campaign affected by her decision to skip a couple of LPGT events in favor of overseas tournaments. Last year’s OOM champion Sarah Ababa, meanwhile, settled for fifth with P491,450 after a winless season.
On the men’s side, Que took a markedly different route to his second consecutive OOM crown, leaning on his early-season victories and a string of respectable finishes to keep his pursuers at bay.
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The veteran campaigner drew strength from his come-from-behind triumph at Caliraya Springs and his two-shot victory over Aidric Chan at Summit Point, building the earnings cushion that would prove decisive in the final stretch.
Juggling commitments between the PGT and the Asian Tour, Que endured a demanding schedule that left little room for rest. Fresh from an Asian Tour event, he struggled to a joint 12th-place finish in Negros Occidental before placing joint 21st in Iloilo. He then shared ninth at Pueblo de Oro, took fifth at South Pacific and closed out his campaign with an eighth-place finish at Apo.
Although he failed to crack the Top 5 in the final five legs, Que’s earlier victories and steady accumulation of earnings proved more than enough. He finished with P1.445 million to complete a rare back-to-back OOM championship.
Jeffren Lumbo remained within striking distance and still had a mathematical chance of overtaking Que heading into Apo. But the Sarangani standout also faltered in the finale, winding up joint 18th and settling for second with P1.230 million.
Clyde Mondilla, winner at South Pacific, was third with P1.223 million, his campaign likewise affected by missed opportunities in key legs. Rupert Zaragosa, who won at Pueblo de Oro, placed fourth with P1.038 million, while Keanu Jahns, winless after sweeping three titles last season, wound up fifth with P982,550.