Angelo Que and Lloyd Go re-join the Philippine Golf Tour toughened up by overseas stints, ready and eager to rekindle rivalry with the local top guns in pursuit of victory in the ICTSI South Pacific Classic, which gets under way tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 10) at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City.
Both came up short in their last PGT campaigns with Que finishing tied for second with Dino Villanueva at Forest Hills ruled by Clyde Mondilla and Go sharing runner-up honors with Mondilla in the Valley leg topped by Reymon Jaraula, both last June.
The duo vied in the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour during the PGT break and skipped the just-concluded Del Monte leg, also won by Mondilla, with Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner, placing tied at 56th in the Indonesia Open, sharing 65th in the International Series England and ending up joint 64th in the St. Andrews Bay Championship in Scotland.
Go, who finished No. 7 in the ADT Order of Merit last season, shared 37th place in his last ADT sortie in the BRG Open in Vietnam. He also tied for 58th in Indonesia.
Those stints should fortify Que and Go’s bid in the P2 million event serving as the ninth leg of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and supported by PGTI’s official apparel Kampfortis Golf.
Also making a comeback of sorts in the 72-hole championship held simultaneously with the P1 million Ladies PGT are Keanu Jahns and Joenard Rates, along with Cebu-based Japanese Gen Nagai.
Tony Lascuña, who has never figured in the title race since winning the Caliraya Springs leg last April, hopes to snap the spell at South Pacific where he reigned when the latest of Sta. Lucia Development, Inc.’s top championship courses hosted a first PGT event in 2019.
The par-72 course inside the vast South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Catalunan Pequeño features long par-4s and sleek surface with the menacing bunkers and roughs also expected to come into play in most holes, ready to punish even the slightest of mistakes.
Meanwhile, title-hungry Marvi Monsalve, former amateur standout Mikha Fortuna, Monica Mandario and top amateur Laurea Duque spice up the chase in the 54-hole women’s championship bannered by three peat-seeking Daniella Uy, who matched Mondilla’s title romps at Forest Hills and Del Monte.
Also gunning for a third victory in the season about to end is Luisita and Villamor leg winner Harmie Constantino, while amateur Mafy Singson hopes to build on her joint runner-up effort at Del Monte in chase of a follow-up to her three-shot triumph over Uy at Valley.
Others tipped to contend are Davaoeñas Chihiro Ikeda, Sarah Ababa and Yvon Bisera, Del Monte’s Pamela Mariano, Korean Seoyun Kim and junior golfer Velinda Castil, who tied for second with Singson and Kim at Del Monte.
