SILANG, Cavite—Local aces Clyde Mondilla and Jerson Balasabas and Aussie David Gleeson set out with personal goals of scoring back-to-back feats while the rest of the elite international field go all out to foil their bids, guaranteeing a spirited battle right in today’s start of the ICTSI Riviera Classic at Riviera’s Langer course here today, Wednesday, May 30.
Mondilla skipped yesterday’s traditional pro-am to further hone up for the $100,000 championship he won by two over Michael Bibat and Korean amateur Tom Kim last year. But the reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion has struggled at the start of the season, leading to a string of forgettable finishes, including a 41st place effort in last week’s Philippine Masters.
But he expressed confidence of a big rebound this week, so do the rest of the 121-player cast, including Balasabas, who is seeking a follow-up to his playoff win over Dutch Van der Valk at Masters, and Gleeson, who ruled the kickoff leg of the second PGT Asia at Luisita last month.
“I need more practice to bring back my game. But I feel good of my chances this week. Laban lang tayo,” said Mondilla, who racked up four victories in a breakout season last year.
Balasabas also brims with confidence following his breakthrough at Villamor but expects a different kind of challenge on the long, hazard-laden layout with sleek putting surface and a field teeming with talent.
“The course is long and the greens are tough and fast. While we had to avoid getting stymied at Villamor, here, we have to watch out for the penalties with so many hazards coming into play in most holes,” said Balasabas.
“But I’m looking forward to scoring back-to-back (wins). I know I can score here although the field is strong,” he added.
Gleeson and Van der Valk head the crack roster of foreign aces battling it out for the top $17,500 purse in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. with the former hoping to ride the momentum of his playoff win over Erwin Arcillas and the latter going for a second straight victory after scoring his maiden win at PGT Eagle Ridge last March.
Meanwhile, Mondilla drew Elmer Salvador and American Jacob Fleck at 7:20 a.m. on No. 1, Balasabas will play alongside Thai Chonlatit Chuenboonngam and Japanese Koutaka Iha at 11:10 a.m., also on the first hole, and Gleeson tees off in a flight behind at 11:20 a.m. with Benjie Magada and Idtiphat Silasuwan of Thailand.
Van der Valk, meanwhile, tees off at 11:20 a.m. at the back with local ace Jobim Carlos and Thai Panuwat Muenlek while Tony Lascuña, Thai Sattaya Supupramai and American John Michael O’Toole brace for an early shootout in one of the featured groups at 11:30 a.m. on No. 1 in what looms to be an explosive start to the second leg of the region’s newest circuit backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.
Young Micah Shin is also tipped to contend with the Korean-American, winner of this year’s The Country Club Invitational, drawing Thai Poosit Supupramai and Keanu Jahns at 11:40 a.m. on No. 10.
Other locals tipped to contend are veteran Jay Bayron and Jhonnel Ababa, who won the PGTA legs at Riviera and Pradera Verde last January but whose game took a dip the last two tournaments, including a joint 13th place effort at Villamor.
