In-form Dabawenyo Jhonnel Ababa gears up for another crack at the crown on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour as he heads the pack in the P1 million ICTSI Sherwood Hills Golf Classic slated Sept. 28-30 at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club.
The tough, windy par-72 course in Trece Martires, Cavite poses almost the same challenge as that of Riviera’s layout where Ababa booked her second leg victory by rallying from seven strokes down to frustrate Jay Bayron and nip Cassius Casas by one.
But Ababa, the former amateur hotshot who scored his maiden win on the tour with a playoff victory over Bayron in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge last July, will have a tougher set of rivals next week with the return to action by the likes of Asian Tour campaigners Tony Lascuna, Artemio Murakami, Gerald Rosales and Elmer Salvador.
Also in the 70-player roster is a hungry bunch of players hoping to finally hit paydirt in the 12th leg of the 16-stage tour sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments. Inc. They include Antonio Asistio II, Jerson Balasabas, Jun Bernis, Rufino Bayron, Dante Becierra, Michael Bibat, Gene Bondoc, Jerome Delariarte, Anthony Fernando, Charles Hong, Randy Garalde, Elmer Saban, Rey Pagunsan, Erwin Vinluan and Arnold Villacencio.
Also in the fold are leg champions Mhark Fernando (ICTSI Del Monte), Robert Pactolerin (ICTSI Negros Occidental) and Jay Bayron (Aboitiz Invitational) and former winners Ferdie Aunzo, Danny Zarate, Benjie Magada and Marvin Dumandan.
Meanwhile, Ababa remained in fifth place in the Order of Merit ranking but his recent victory hiked his earnings to P761,456, moving him within Lascuna, who has P764,219.
Juvic Pagunsan stayed way out in front with P1,474,604 on four victories while Bayron, the reigning OOM champion, is in second with P933,994 earnings. Salvador, the first OOM winner in 2009, remains in third with P812,019, making the last five legs crucial for the OOM title contenders with Pagunsan out for the rest of the season.
Meanwhie, Villamor Golf Club will host a leg in the circuit for the first time in three years on Oct. 19-21 for the 13th leg. The tour will also make its first stop at Calatagan Golf Club in Batangas for the ICTSI Calatagan Challenge on Oct. 26-28 before Canlubang hosts the penultimate leg on Nov. 9-11 with the ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational. The tour winds up with the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship at Wack Wack, which is also hosting a leg for the first time on Nov. 23-25.
The circuit is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.(pr)
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