When the wind howls and precision becomes a survival skill, Ching Huang doesn’t flinch — she takes charge.
Eight years after mastering the blustery crucible of Tagaytay, the veteran Taiwanese campaigner once again turned adversity into advantage, delivering a composed and commanding performance to rule the ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters on Friday.
Huang closed with a superb six-under 66, asserting her mastery of wind golf and separating herself from a field scrambling to stay afloat amid punishing conditions at Summit Point in Lipa, Batangas.
Starting the final round tied for second with Yeonseo Hwang and one shot behind Jeonghyeon Kang, Huang wasted no time seizing control. She burst out of the gates with four birdies in her first five holes — a stunning display of accuracy and calm that immediately set her apart as the wind intensified.
Huang went on to post an emphatic 11-under-par 205 total over 54 holes, clinching the $30,000 top prize and stirring memories of her four-shot triumph at the 2018 ICTSI Champion Tour at Tagaytay Midlands — another tournament shaped by relentless winds and demanding setups.
“I’m really happy because I didn’t expect to win here again,” the 30-year-old Huang said after capturing her fifth career title — and her first since 2018. “I just did my best in the first round and told myself that if I could sustain my game, I had a chance to become champion. Everything just clicked. With so many strong players in the field, I knew I had to play well to win.”
The parallels to her Tagaytay conquest were unmistakable. After a steady opening-round 70, Huang made the necessary adjustments, firing a 69 to thrust herself into contention before delivering the knockout blow with her explosive start in the final round.
Kang and Hwang attempted one last push with birdies on the par-5 14th, trimming the gap to three shots, but Huang calmly snuffed out the threat with a birdie of her own on the next hole. She then punctuated her dominance with another birdie on the 17th, matching the tournament-best six-under card earlier posted by Yunseo Lee in the opening round.
(C) LPGT
“I was nervous,” Huang admitted. “I just focused on keeping my tempo, taking it one shot at a time, and trying to match how I played in the second round.”
Kang birdied the final two holes to salvage a 71 and claim solo second at 209, while Jisun Kang surged with a 69 to tie Lee (70) and Hwang (71) for third at 210.
Daniella Uy finished as the top Filipina, carding an even-par 72 to place joint 12th at 216 — though it fell short of Pauline del Rosario’s joint fourth-place finish in last year’s edition at The Country Club.
Chanelle Avaricio rallied with a 69 to tie for 24th at 219, Princess Superal posted a 72 for joint 34th at 221, while del Rosario (73), Mafy Singson (76), and Sarah Ababa (77) tied for 37th with 222 totals.
As her Korean challengers faltered, Huang’s shot-making stood in sharp contrast. She repeatedly split fairways with confident drives, attacked pins with wind-piercing approach shots, and drained putts with unshakable poise. By the fifth hole, she had surged to a four-shot lead, reaching a running nine-under total that visibly rattled the chasing pack.
That blistering start all but settled the outcome.
A birdie on the ninth capped a flawless frontside 31, further widening the gap as Kang could manage only an even-par card — two birdies against two bogeys — while Hwang settled for a 36. From there, the back nine unfolded less as a battle and more as a coronation walk for the 33-year-old Huang — one defined by discipline rather than ease.
Fully aware of Summit Point’s lurking dangers, Huang stayed composed after recording her first bogey of the week on No. 10, which she had birdied in the opening two rounds. She responded immediately with a birdie on the next hole to steady the ship.
Another missed green led to a bogey on No. 12, but with Kang and the rest of the field also stumbling, Huang comfortably maintained her four-shot cushion down the stretch. Her timely shot-making and clutch putting consistently halted every challenge, underscoring the experience and mental toughness that have long defined her success in difficult conditions.
In a tournament that demanded patience, nerve, and supreme shot control, Huang didn’t merely endure the wind — she owned it, reaffirming her reputation as a player who rises when the challenge is at its fiercest.
