TO ease up the pressure to deliver in the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic, Harmie Constantino has opted to tone down expectations of another plausible title run in the absence of four other winners of this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
The P1 million championship unwraps today (Tuesday, June 20) with the pint-sized but talented Constantino, who scored back-to-back victories at Luisita and Villamor, looming large with fellow leg winners Chanelle Avaricio, Pauline del Rosario and amateurs Rianne Malixi and Mafy Singson campaigning elsewhere.
Avaricio, who topped the kickoff leg in Bacolod, and del Rosario, who dominated the Caliraya Springs stage, are both set to vie in the Epson Tour; Malixi, who ran away with the Iloilo Challenge title, is on a break following a stint in the Women’s Amateur in England; while Singson, who ruled the last LPGT stop at Valley, is competing in the Cactus Tour in the US.
Still, Constantino didn’t take any chances, putting in hours of work during the break to sharpen her iron play, which she said stymied her drive for a record third straight victory at Valley.
“I’ve been working on my irons after the Valley event because that’s what was lacking in my game then,” said Constantino, who edged Daniella Uy in sudden death to snare the Luisita crown then foiled Chihiro Ikeda in the Villamor Philippine Masters.
But she struggled at Valley big-time, failing to recover from back-to-back 76s and ending up tied at fifth with Korean amateur Min Yeong Kim.
She expects another tough grind at Forest Hills’ Nicklaus course but hopes to figure in the title race just the same.
“It’s going to be a hard week since Nicklaus is tight and hilly, so I really don’t have expectations,” said Constantino. “But as always, I hope for good rounds to come.”
A good fight is also expected to come from a slew of rivals, headed by Uy, who will be doubly motivated this week following a series of late-hole meltdowns that continued to keep her from posting her second career win after making it to the top for the first time at Riviera in 2021.
Like Constantino, Ikeda isn’t giving much thought on her chances, saying: “I have no expectations. I might just get disappointed if I think about it.”
But she does expect to contend, along with Mikha Fortuna, Sarah Ababa, Florence Bisera, Martina Miñoza, Pamela Mariano and Gretchen Villacencio and Koreans Juyoung Yang and Kim.
Focus will also be on top amateur Lois Kaye Go, who tied for third with Ababa at Valley and who has the talent and materials needed to put one over the pros in the 54-hole championship put up by ICTSI.
Completing the cast are Sheryl Villasencio, Lucy Landicho, Eva Miñoza, Kristine Fleetwood, Rev Alcantara, Lesley Icoy, Monica Mandario, Korean amateur Jiwon Lee and Junior PGT stalwarts Aily Kidwell, Velinda Castil and Kiara Montebon.