Despite falling short at Mt. Malarayat and Splendido, Chanelle Avaricio has done so much to instill fear in her rivals heading to the ICTSI Pradera Verde Classic beginning Wednesday (June 15) in Lubao, Pampanga.
Two victories and a couple of runner-up finishes in the last four Ladies Philippine Golf Tour tournaments easily make Avaricio the marked player in the upcoming P750,000 championship. And the Alabama State U alumna has toughened up during the break, sharpening her long game and putting stroke, which she said would be key to her campaign on an exacting course and against a compact but talented field.
She also stressed the need to cut down on miscues that have stymied her charge at Mt. Malarayat and Splendido.
“I think the last four tournaments were both tough and challenging and having been able to finish first or second in those rounds were truly an achievement for me,” said Avaricio, who topped the Hallow Ridge leg with a playoff win over Princess Superal and ruled the Caliraya Springs stop with a one-stroke victory over Chihiro Ikeda.
But she lost steam in a final round duel with Chihiro Ikeda at Mt. Malarayat and fell short in a tight four-way battle at Splendido, setbacks she said would further spur her to get better and stronger in her next mission.
“I’ll use my experience to improve more on my game, to also correct my mistakes,” she added. “To prepare, during the two-week break, I focused on practicing, specifically my putting and driving.”Her rivals, however, are more than ready to foil her stab at another glory in the sixth leg of the country’s premier ladies circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Amateur Mafy Singson, who ended a long quest for a pro victory after four cracks at it with a pressure-packed win over Sunshine Baraquiel, Harmie Constantino and Avaricio at Splendido, won’t be around to go for another milestone as she is set to vie for berth in the US Junior Amateur Championship on June 15 in Nevada.
But Baraquiel, Constantino and Ikeda are all primed up for the tournament while the likes Pamela Mariano, Marvi Monsalve, Florence Bisera, Apple Fudolin, Gretchen Villacencio, Martina Miñoza, Kristine Fleetwood and Lesley Icoy all set out for a breakthrough victory, ensuring a furious title chase in the 54-hole championship.