Harmie Constantino steps up her build-up for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship unfolding Tuesday, expecting three days of exacting challenge not only from a compact field she humbled the first time out but also from the Norman course ready to test the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour cast’s mental toughness.
Constantino upstaged Princess Superal with clutch shots and putts to win her first pro tournament in last week’s ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge at Aoki but the former national amateur standout is aware of what lies ahead while stressing the need to be in top shape for another stab at LPGT glory.
“The win only showed how much work I have to put in for the next tournament,” said the former Univ. of Georgia stalwart, whose routine includes a two-hour workout on the range and gym work.
“At home, I do some putting,” she added.
That should make her A-ready for the P750,000 championship, together with Superal, who is also priming up for a payback and a return to the podium after back-to-back runner-up finishes following an emphatic victory in the first of two Riviera bubble tournaments late last year that marked the return of the circuit after an eight-month hiatus due to pandemic.
Multi-titled Chihiro Ikeda and Lucy Landicho also signed up for the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized event after missing the action at Aoki, both ready to crowd the favorites for top honors in the 54-hole championship.
The likes of Daniella Uy, Chanelle Avaricio, Cyna Rodriguez, Marvi Monsalve, Gretchen Villacencio and Pamela Mariano are also out to spoil the big guns while Pauline del Rosario, who held off Superal to snare the other Riviera diadem, is confident she could put it all together this time after grappling with her long game and irons at Aoki.
Emphasis will also be on stamina, particularly at the onset of summer with the wind likewise tipped to come into play the way it did at Aoki, guaranteeing a spirited battle not just of shotmaking, but also of wits and guts right in the first round.