Daniella remains player to watch

DAVAO  City, Philippines — Daniella Uy’s return to the attack mode will once again to the fore as she launches her drive for a third straight Ladies Philippine Golf Tour victory in the ICTSI South Pacific Classic blasting off today at the South Pacific Golf Club here.

No one from among the compact 24-player field is coming into the P1 million championship with as much confidence and resolve than Uy, who snapped a run of stretch-run fold-ups with victories at Forest Hills last June and at Del Monte last week.

“I’m confident I can win again,” said Uy after triumphing in the rain at Del Monte with a final-round charge anchored on aggressive play.

She drew Harmie Constantino, Mikha Fortuna and Monica Mandario in the 8:10 a.m. flight on No. 1, after the foursome of amateurs Mafy Singson and Velinda Castil, Gretchen Villacencio and Sarah Ababa.

“At Forest Hills, it was more like of playing it safe. But in Del Monte, I was very confident of my drives. Since the course is rather long for us, I forced myself to hit the driver and it worked since it gave me more chances for birdies,” said the former Junior World champion, who scored her LPGT breakthrough at Riviera in 2021.

But it took her long before scoring a second victory, enduring a number of sorry misses, including a playoff loss to Constantno at Luisita, before edging Yvon Bisera by one in Antipolo.

Uy vied in the LPGA of Japan Tour Q-School and passed the first stage of the grueling qualifier and her stint this week and in the next LPGT leg at Mimosa will further gauge her readiness to compete with the best in Japan and the region’s other rising players.

She posted a joint 18th place finish and will head to Stage II next month on some kind of a roll with Asian Games-bound Lois Kaye Go, who tied for 27th, likewise resuming her bid for a pro card.

But at South Pacific, no one holds a distinct edge, this being the first time that the Arnold Palmer-designed par-72 layout, one of Sta. Lucia Realty’s top championship courses, will host an LPGT event.