Tight finishes set stage for ICTSI South Pacific Classic
MANILA, Philippines — A string of one-shot victories and dramatic finishes has set the tone for the Philippine Golf Tour, and the ICTSI South Pacific Classic looms as another test of nerve and precision when the P2.5-million championship unfolds Tuesday, October 20, at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City.
Rupert Zaragosa’s narrow escape at last Thursday’s Pueblo de Oro Championship underscored the depth, parity and unpredictability of the country’s premier circuit, where no player has established a commanding edge and the title remains anyone’s for the taking heading into the four-day battle for the crown and the top prize.
The Pueblo de Oro finish was another reminder of how fine the margins have become. Zaragosa bogeyed the final hole without realizing he had done enough to secure the victory, with his caddie ultimately assuring him that he had survived a tense finish to snap a year-long title drought.
“I actually had a feeling I could win at Pueblo because everything felt right. My game was in good shape, I was hitting the ball well, and my putting was coming together. I felt I had a real chance,” said Zaragosa, who claimed his fourth career title following his breakthrough victory in Iloilo in 2023 and back-to-back triumphs at the Negros Occidental stop in 2024 and 2025.
After several previous campaigns in which he contended but failed to close the deal, Zaragosa finally put everything together at Pueblo de Oro. He stayed within striking distance through the first three rounds before delivering a closing 68 to edge Keanu Jahns and Zanieboy Gialon by one.
Now, with his confidence restored, Zaragosa hopes to carry that same composure and winning mindset into South Pacific, where a formidable cast of contenders is poised to renew the circuit’s run of nail-biting finishes.
The recent run of close calls has been remarkable. Angelo Que edged Aidric Chan by two strokes at Summit Point, Art Arbole captured his breakthrough victory in Negros Occidental by one over Jeffren Lumbo, and Jhonnel Ababa ended a two-year title drought with another one-shot triumph over Lumbo in Iloilo. Zaragosa then kept the trend going at Pueblo de Oro, setting up another potentially dramatic showdown in Davao.
Lumbo, in particular, has unfinished business. After back-to-back runner-up finishes, he remained in contention at Pueblo de Oro before fading in the final round. The defending South Pacific champion, however, has every reason to be confident at a venue where he outlasted Russell Bautista in a grueling five-hole playoff last year. He now seeks to become a back-to-back winner and further cement his legacy in the event.
Bautista, meanwhile, will be eager to make amends after his heartbreaking playoff defeat last year and a late stumble at Pueblo de Oro. He controlled the race for a significant stretch of the final round last week but faltered under pressure, leaving him determined to prove he can finish the job when another opportunity comes.
Jahns and Gialon are likewise out to settle unresolved matters after coming within a stroke of forcing a playoff at Pueblo. Jahns briefly seized the lead in the fiercely contested final round but missed a 16-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole that could have extended the battle. Gialon, for his part, pulled level with Zaragosa and Jahns down the stretch, only to bogey the last hole and fall one shot short.
Another player to watch is Clyde Mondilla, whose power off the tee put him in control after the third round at Pueblo de Oro. But he struggled to create enough birdie opportunities over the closing 18 holes, managing just one late birdie on No. 17 to salvage a fourth-place finish. A sharper approach game could make him a formidable contender at South Pacific.
Que, meanwhile, hopes to rediscover the form that carried him to his second leg victory of the season at Summit Point. After that triumph, he settled for a joint 12th-place finish in Negros Occidental, shared 21st in Iloilo and tied for ninth at Pueblo de Oro.
Still, the veteran campaigner remains confident of working his way back into the title hunt. With the Order of Merit crown also at stake, Que is looking to mount a late-season charge, contend for a third victory and strengthen his bid to retain the season-long honors.
The South Pacific Classic serves as the penultimate stop of the 10-leg circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. The tour then moves to the nearby Apo Golf and Country Club next week for the season-ending leg, where Ababa and the other local aces are expected to lead the home challenge and defend their turf. (Pool story)
- Latest
- Trending
