PGT big guns reload for Palos Verdes
THE Philippine Golf Tour is off to an auspicious start, with the big guns hitting their early targets. Top money earner last season, Jhonnel Ababa wasted little time asserting himself by taking victory in the ICTSI Apo Golf Classic in Davao after a fourth-place finish in the TCC Invitational.
The master is close behind. After ruling the season prologue at The Country Club in Laguna, Tony Lascuña came up with another fine showing at Apo Golf Club, ending up in joint third.
They have carried the momentum from last season. Top two in last year’s Order of Merit, Lascuña and Ababa are the winners of this year’s first two events.
Lascuña, four-time winner of the Order of Merit, feels he is on track for a return to the top.
“This season, pakiramdam ko babalik ako sa tuktok,” said Lascuña, winner of three-straight money titles from 2012 and topping the Order again in 2016.
“Yung rank, second Order of Merit ko last year thankful na ako nun. Kagagaling ko lang sa Covid nun, buti naka recover agad ako.”
Although more big-hitting youngsters are joining the fray, the smooth-swinging Lascuña is confident he still has what it takes to claim the yearend plum.
A busy man at 53—husband, father, pro tour star, and golf coach, “Unyot” says he simply has to keep his priorities straight.
“Wala namang nabago sa kin, masipag pa rin ako mag practice
pasalamat ako palagi na very supportive asawa kong si Che, siya bahala sa mag anak namin basta ako focus lang sa practice ko.
“Hindi rin madali pag ipinag-sabay ang turo at practice. Pag nagtururo palagi nawawala focus sa practice.”
Big boost for Arevalo
IT’S back to action in less than a week with the Palos Verdes Championship next.
Among those raring to return is Kristoffer Arevalo, who seeks to build on a fine showing at Apo—highlighted by a sizzling 68 but marred by a closing 81.
It was an unlucky 13th-place finish, but one that the national stroke play champion and Philippine golf team star sees as a victory of sorts.
“I was enjoying the moment of every shot…golf wants me to learn how to play with it. It’s my first time to be in that situation,” said the 23-year-old Arevalo.
“It’s a big jump for me ’cause I wasn’t even getting in that situation last year, not even close. Maybe my hard work paid off a bit, but there’s still a lot to prove, a lot to master. Probably I got nervous, but I enjoyed it mostly.”
Arevalo noted that the PGA Tour is still his main goal, and the little things learned on the domestic tour will be crucial.
“I want bigger things but I gotta start with the small things that need to be done first before the big things happen. So it’s still a win for me, whatever happened on the last day was a win for me, because I got to experience that and I’ll be smarter the next time.”
Sweet win for Sarah in Davao
THERE were, in fact, two Ababas who earned titles at Apo Golf last week.
A third one had a hand in clinching a crown.
Sarah Ababa claimed the Ladies PGT title ahead of her cousin by topping the 54-hole event.
It was a sweet victory in her home province for Sarah, who had dad Edgardo as her caddie. “Malaking tulong yung tatay ko kasi relaxed ako,” said Sarah, who ended a nine-year title drought.
Race to Paris Olympics
BIANCA PAGDANGANAN remains on track for a return trip to the Olympics. The 26-year-old Filipina sits 46th in the recent Olympic golf rankings after a joint 29th-place finish in the Honda LPGA Thailand and 41st in the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
The Olympic golf tournaments feature 60-player fields, with a limit of four players per country in the men’s and women’s competitions.
Pagdanganan placed 43rd with rounds of 69-71-71-74 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in the Tokyo Games in 2021 and will look to do better at Le Golf National, which hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.
The men battle it out first on the course in Saint-quentin-en-yvelines with the opening round set on August 1. Women’s play starts on August 7.
No Philippine player is on the current 60-player field for men.
Rio Olympian Miguel Tabuena, world-ranked 363rd, is on the reallocation reserve list.