Harmie Constantino is one tough lady.
A day after limping home with a 79, the pocket-sized golfer produced a tournament-best four-under-par 68 to capture the ICTSI Luisita Championship in Tarlac on Thursday.
Showing the heart of a lion, Constantino bounced back from a bogey-bogey start and knocked in six birdies in the last 14 holes to forge a playoff with Daniella Uy on 2-over 218.
Constantino went on to sink a 12-foot birdie putt in the extra hole to annex her fifth pro title.
“No idea I could still come back from 4 shots down and go into a playoff… not until I reached No. 18 and had a birdie putt. I told myself that this is my last chance of making something,” Constantino said.
She was still four shots down at the turn but three straight birdies from 12 brought her back to the contest.
Uy bogeyed 12 and 13 but birdied 17 to nurse a one-shot lead going into the final hole.
Constantino came through with a birdie which Uy failed to match forging a sudden-death playoff.
It marked the second time this season that the title slipped from Uy’s hands.
She also lost a big lead in Iloilo early this year.
Sarah Ababa carded a 73 to place third at 219 while Florence Bisera turned in a second straight 74 for fourth at 224.
Korean Kim Seoyun, who moved into contention with a second-round 70, faded with five bogeys in the first seven holes, limping with a 78 for fifth at 225 while Gretchen Villacencio and Pamela Mariano matched 226s after a 74 and 75, respectively.
Chihiro Ikeda shot a 76 for eighth at 232 while Apple Fudolin and Korean Yang Ju Young assembled identical 235s after a pair of 78s.
The final standings:
218 — Harmie Constantino 71-79-68, Daniella Uy 71-75-72
219 — Sarah Ababa 75-71-73
224 — Florence Yvon Bisera 76-74-74
225 — Kim Seoyun 77-70-78
226 — Pamela Mariano 76-75-75, Gretchen Villacencio 75-77-74
232 — Chihiro Ikeda 79-77-76
235 — Laurea Duque (am) 76-82-77, Apple Jeen Fudolin 81-76-78, Yang Ju Young 79-78-78
240 — Kristine Fleetwood 86-78-76
243 — Rev Lizbeth Alcantara 81-82-79
249 — Lucy Landicho 85-84-80.
