Harmie Constantino unleashed another trademark finishing kick, birdieing four of her last seven holes to fire a three-under-par 69 and force a tie with the steady Yvon Bisera at the top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship in Lubao, Pampanga, on Tuesday.
Constantino appeared headed for another slow start after bogeys on Nos. 3 and 6 erased her opening-hole birdie. But the Caliraya Springs champion caught fire on the back nine, birdieing Nos. 12 and 13 before closing with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a six-under 32 on the inward side, allowing her to catch Bisera for the lead.
Bisera, meanwhile, turned in the steadiest round of the day under hot and humid conditions. She broke a string of pars with birdies on Nos. 9, 11 and 14, threatening to pull away before settling for a 35-34 card and a share of the lead.
Just one stroke behind at 70 was Chihiro Ikeda, who also mounted a late charge by birdieing two of her last five holes to stay within striking distance heading into the second round.
Pinewoods leg champion Chanelle Avaricio likewise remained firmly in contention despite an early stumble. After a bogey on the sixth, she responded with birdies on Nos. 13 and 18 to salvage a one-under 71 and keep her bid for back-to-back titles alive in the P750,000 fourth leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
“I didn’t really hit a lot of greens on the front nine, but I made up for it with birdies on the back,” said Constantino, who birdied four of her last six holes, all from inside 10 feet.
“I didn’t get off to a good start, so I wasn’t expecting to score well because I wasn’t making birdies in the opening holes,” she said after overcoming a sluggish start, the sweltering heat and late-afternoon gusts.
“It was really hot throughout the day, although the wind picked up over the last couple of holes, which made the course a lot tougher,” added Constantino, who rallied in the final round to tie for second with Tiffany Lee at Pinewoods last week.
Despite the challenging conditions, Constantino stayed patient and capitalized on her opportunities down the stretch, putting herself in prime position heading into the final 36 holes.
Looking ahead to a second-round battle with Bisera, the multi-titled former Order of Merit champion said she intends to stick to a simple game plan.
“I’ll just enjoy my game, stay patient and try to hit as many fairways as I can,” said Constantino, who believes consistency off the tee will be key over the final two rounds.
Bisera, meanwhile, turned in a gutsy performance despite nursing a left-hand injury she sustained last week.
“I sprained my left hand last week. It’s getting better, but I still feel pain whenever I hit my irons,” she said in Filipino. “I just played steady and didn’t try to force anything.”
The injury hardly showed as she relied on smart course management rather than power to stay in contention.
After finishing 10th at Pinewoods, Bisera admitted that courses with significant elevation changes do not suit her game, saying she feels much more comfortable on flatter layouts.
“The course reminds me a bit of South Pacific,” she said, referring to her home course in Davao. “I’m also quite familiar with the greens because I played here recently.”
Like Constantino, Bisera said she plans to remain patient and stick to her steady approach over the final two rounds.
“I’ll just keep playing steady and hopefully the pain goes away so I can drive the ball harder,” she added.
Ikeda, for her part, credited her short game for keeping her in the title hunt despite arriving without a practice round.
“I didn’t get to play a practice round here, but my chipping and putting really clicked,” said the veteran campaigner seeking to end a lengthy title drought. “It was extremely hot, but it was manageable. I just stayed focused on making solid shots.”
She added that her sharp execution around the greens helped offset her unfamiliarity with the course, giving her confidence heading into the final two rounds.
Kristine Fleetwood and Martina Miñoza shared fifth place at 73, although they got there in contrasting fashion. Fleetwood recovered with birdies on Nos. 12 and 16 after a shaky front nine, while Miñoza slipped from a promising position with back-to-back bogeys starting at No. 15.
Last year’s third-place finisher Daniella Uy also battled back after a disastrous start. Four bogeys in her first six holes threatened to derail her campaign before birdies on Nos. 7 and 16 helped her salvage a 74 and remain within striking distance.
Tiffany Lee likewise recovered from an erratic round with consecutive birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to card a 75 and join Princess Superal in a tie. Superal struggled throughout, failing to make a birdie in a 37-38 round.
Monica Mandario grabbed the early spotlight by acing the 170-yard No. 2 with a 7-iron and a Titleist No. 2 ball after opening with a double bogey. However, her first career hole-in-one failed to spark a sustained rally as she followed it up with four straight bogeys and eventually settled for a 77.
