Fierce battle seen as ICTSI Calatagan starts

CALATAGAN, Batangas, Philippines - – Jhonnel Ababa, Mhark Fernando and Tony Lascuna hope to make the most of their early morning tee-off and build the needed momentum in what is tipped to be a tightly fought showdown for the ICTSI Calatagan crown beginning today at the Calatagan Golf and Country Club here.

Ababa, chasing a third leg victory on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, drew a 6:50 a.m. start with Gene Bondoc and Carl Santos-Ocampo on No. 1, eager to get going on a course he, along with Fernando and a few others, are so familiar with, having made the rolling par-72 layout their base during their amateur days.

Fernando is also out to redeem himself from mediocre finishes in the last three legs of the circuit after scoring his maiden win at ICTSI Del Monte last August. Paired with Michael Bibat and Ruben Sasutil, he is set to start at 7 a.m. when playing condition is expected to be ideal.

But the former national champion, who missed the cut at the rich Aboitiz Invitational and finished outside of the top 10 at ICTSI Riviera and ICTSI Sherwood, said emphasis will be on the long game since the tight course punishes errant drives.

“I feel good, my condition is okay,” said Fernando in Filipino. “But the course is tough, you can’t get a good target if you hit a bad drive.”

Meanwhile, Anthony Fernando primed up for the championship as he steered amateur teammates Neil Howard, Teresa Howard and Jorg Schifferer to victory in yesterday’s pro-am with a 51. Lascuna and partners Natalio Sena, Fr. Edgar Villostas and Toti Hernandez placed second with a 52 while Bondoc teamed up with Ogie Caja, Ted Valenton and Joeben Caballes for a 57 for third.

Lascuna, perhaps the best player never to win a leg since ICTSI revived the pro circuit in 2009, tees off ahead of Fernando at 6:50 a.m. in the company of Arnold Villacencio and Jun Bernis, upbeat of his chances in the P1 million event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“I need to a good start to contend (for the title). It has been a long winless spell for me,” said Lascuna, who lost in a four-hole playoff to Robert Pactolerin at ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic last July. “Hopefully, I can finally win here.”

But a host of others are also out to nail the victory in the 54-hole tournament worth P200,000, the third to the last event lined up in this year’s 16-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

There is Jay Bayron, the only player in the 69-player field with an outside chance to foil Juvic Pagunsan’s bid to annex the Order of Merit crown. Bayron, who snatched the OOM title from Pagunsan with a final leg victory at ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational last year, is running third in the OOM race but half-a-million peso behind Pagunsan in earnings.