CAVINTI, Laguna—Angelo Que and Lloyd Go head straight from Vietnam to here to reinforce an already-formidable roster all primed for a shootout in the rich ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship, which reels off today (Tuesday) at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club.
Though the duo had had not much of a success in the World City Championship in Hong Kong three weeks ago and the International Series Vietnam over the weekend, they expect to not just pose a challenge but also crowd the big guns for top honors in the P2.5 million championship given their experience while competing against the best of the Asian Tour.
Que, a multi-titled campaigner on the Philippine Golf Tour, is also hungry for local recognition after coming up short in all his three stints at Eagle Ridge, Riviera and Pradera Verde last year, while Go, a full card holder in the region’s premier circuit following a Top 7 finish in the 2022 Asian Development Tour Order of Merit, mounts his own battle in pursuit of a career breakthrough.
Go actually took control midway through the Eagle Ridge-Aoki championship last year and co-led with Tony Lascuña and eventual winner Michael Bibat after 54 holes. But the former national champion wilted under pressure in the final round and wound up ninth instead on a closing 76.
But the rising Cebuano star has gained so much in terms of know-how and strength from his stints in the ADT and in this year’s Asian Tour, making him one of the marked players in the four-day event serving as the third leg of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Que and Go, however, are in for an exacting week as they face the cream of the country’s pro crop, led by Bacolod and Iloilo leg winners Ira Alido and Rupert Zaragosa, respectively, and defending champion Zanieboy Gialon, while Lascuña goes all-out to nail the elusive win after back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Visayan swing last month.
With Guido van der Valk, the runaway winner at the recent The Country Club Invitational, former Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla and leg winners Jhonnel Ababa, Reymon Jaraula, Joenard Rates, Jay Bayron, Frankie Miñoza and Bibat also coming into the event in top form following a three-week break, a shootout looms in the next four days.
A slew of young guns are likewise raring to get going and press their respective bids early, including recent PGT Q-School topnotcher Rho Hyun Ho of Korea, Gabriel Manotoc, Josh Jorge, Russel Bautista, Kristoffer Arevalo, Don Petil, Ivan Monsalve, Elee Bisera and Sean Ramos.
Others in the fold are former OOM winner Jobim Carlos, Jerson Balasabas, Gerald Rosales, Marvin Dumandan, Albin Engino, Anthony Fernando, Fidel Concepcion, Art Arbole, Jun Bernis, Enrico Gallardo, Mars Pucay, Rufino Bayron, Jelbert Gamolo while Koreans Kim Seong Guk, Chonkoo Kang, Kim Minseong and Lee Hwan hope to put up a strong start in an attempt to upstage the local top guns.