THAIS BOOST PH LADIES OPEN CAST

THREE scratch players from Thailand gear up for a three- day shootout with the cream of the country’s crop and a slew of other foreign aces in the 2018 Champion Infinity Philippine Ladies Open 2018 which reels off on Wednesday at the Orchard Golf and Country Club’s Palmer Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Onkanok Soisuwan, Kultida Pramphun and Pinkaew Trachuentong hope to play to their true potential as they try to reclaim the crown won by their compatriot Pimnipa Panthong at Wack Wack in 2015.

The Thais actually made it a 12 finish then with Kanyalak Preedasutthijit taking runner-up honors but the Filipinas ruled the next two editions of the country’s premier championship organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines with Princess Superal edging Yuka Saso by one at Tagaytay Midlands in 2016.

Bianca Pagdangangan then set a record 16-under 200 total, also at Wack Wack, last year. The University of Arizona mainstay, however, hopes to shake off a struggling stint in the Philippine Amateur Open where she ended up ninth at Riviera’s Couples course last Sunday.

Aside from the Thais, other foreign bets tipped to contend for the crown in the 54-hole championship backed by Champion Infinity, Eva Air, San Miguel Corp., Metro Pacific, Atty. Gilberto Duavit, Inquirer, Alveo Land, G&W Club- shares, Inc., Crimson Hotel Filinvest and NGAP are Singapore’s Shannon Tan, Hailey Loh and Callista Chen, Michela Tjan of Indonesia, Hei Nam Leung of Hong Kong and Pimkwan Chookaew, also of Thailand.

But focus will be on red-hot Saso, who primed herself up for this week’s event by winning a pro tournament – in dominant fashion – at Ayala Greenfield last week.

Joining the Fil-Japanese Canlubang bet in the hunt are former national champion Harmie Constantino, Sam Bruce, Tomi Arejola, Nicole Abelar, Kristine Torralba, Sophia Legaspi, Felicia Medalla, Annika Cedo and Junia Gabasa.

Mikha Fortuna, who won the Malaysian Juniors Open crown last month, along with fellow The Country Club teammates Sam Dizon, Laia Barro and Rafaella Singson are also vying in the event backed by Golfer’s Club Shares, Inc., Province of Cavite, Luisita Golf and Country Club, Mileage Asia, Vermogen, Golf Depot, Orchard Golf and Country Club, Alabang Ladies Chapter, Forest Hills GCC, Tagaytay Highlands, Sta. Elena Golf Club, Manila Golf Club and Canlubang GCC with TIB Taishan and The Turf Company- Texas Eagle as hole-in-one sponsors.

The organizing Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines said aside from the centerpiece Open category, also on tap are competitions in Classes A and B, both tipped to likewise go down-to-the-wire.