ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge unwraps Wednesday

The P1 million ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge unfolds on Wednesday, July 20 at
the Iloilo Golf and Country Club with Robert Pactolerin going for a rare
back-to-back win, Jay Bayron of Davao looking for his first victory and Richard Sinfuego
out to reign at home.
With the rest of the starting 63-player field also raring to slug it out for top
honors, the chase for the P200,000 purse in the seventh leg of the
ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour is expected to go down-to-the-wire the way it did in
Bacolod last week.
Pactolerin came out of nowhere to fire a three-under 67 and force a playoff then
edged Dabawenyo Tony Lascuna in the fourth extra hole to rule the ICTSI Negros Occidental
Classic, ending a 30-month long title drought for the former Philippine Open
champion.
The 50-year-old Pactolerin hopes to sustain his charge in the absence of the
tour’s top guns although the field remains talent-laden with Bayron, the
reigning Order of Merit champion with two victories last year, resuming his
title hunt after a missed-cut stint in the One Asia Tour last week.
Sinfuego will also be a marked man in the 54-hole tournament, organized by
Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by International Container
Terminal Services, Inc., with the former national team mainstay expected to
flaunt his local knowledge of the par-70 layout where he honed his talent and
skills.
Meanwhile, Rufino Bayron primed up for the championship by leading his team
composed of Carlos Jalandoni, Vic Lagman and Douglas Aurelio to victory with a
54 output, nipping Randy Garalde and partners Seve Aguilar, Vic Sucilla and
Susan Divina Gracia in the countback in the traditional pro-am tournament
yesterday.
Arnold Villacencio and Youn Wang Sob, Kozono Takayuki and Kim Dong Hoon combined
for 56 to finish third in the event which featured guests and officials of the
tournament backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab,
BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, Empire Golf & Sports
Shop, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf,
Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.
A number of emerging stars are also tipped to contend for the crown, including
Mhark Fernando, Jhonnel Ababa, Rufino Bayron, Jerson Balasabas, Carl
Santos-Ocampo and Anthony Fernando, each hoping to come out strong and build the
needed momentum.
Marvin Dumandan, winner of three legs last year, is likewise fancied to break
out of a long slump along with Jun Bernis, Cassius Casas, Gene Bondoc, Rodrigo
Cuello, Benjie Magada and Danny Zarate.
Juvic Pagunsan, who ruled three of the circuit’s first six legs but collapsed in
the final round in Bacolod, is skipping this week’s event along with Artemio
Murakami, Mars Pucay, Miguel Tabuena and Lascuna as they compete in the Selangor
Masters in Malaysia, held simultaneously with the ICTSI Iloilo Challenge, where
Angelo Que is the defending champion.
The big guns, however, are expected to be back in the ICTSI-PGT’s eighth leg at
Apo Golf Club in Davao on Aug. 10-12 where Pagunsan is the reigning back-to-back
champion. The circuit then hops to Bukidnon on Aug. 17-19 for the ICTSI Del
Monte Championship before heading to Cebu for the Aboitiz Invitational, a
72-hole championship which also serve as a leg of the Asian Development Tour.(pr)