DAVAO - Harmie Constantino pulled off a stunning comeback at the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship, overturning a five-stroke deficit with a stellar frontside 33 and clinching victory with a composed 69, prevailing by three strokes as her competitors stumbled one after another.
The victory was Constantino's seventh professional win, a career highlighted by her memorable debut with two victories at Eagle Ridge in 2021.
Constantino's steady play, marked by consistency on the back nine with nine pars, cemented her victory with a 54-hole total of 217.
LK Go slips to joint fourth
In contrast, two-day leader Lois Kaye Go faltered, struggling to recover from a shaky start and ultimately finishing joint fourth with a 78, alongside Florence Bisera and Laurea Duque.
Despite a valiant effort from Apo Golf Classic winner Sarah Ababa, missed par opportunities on critical holes thwarted her bid for the title, leading to a tied second-place finish with Chihiro Ikeda.
Constantino attributed her success to playing her game and minimizing errors, coupled with unwavering patience and composure throughout the demanding day of competition.
“I’d say one of the sweetest but not the top,” said Constantino who pocketed P90,000 out of the total prize fund of P750,000.
LJ Go pulls away by 8
Meanwhile, Lloyd Jefferson Go put on a display of skill and determination to shoot a 65 and build an eight-shot lead going into the final round of the men’s event.
Despite challenges from competitors such as Nilo Salahog, Sean Ramos, and Angelo Que, Go maintained his focus and consistency, acknowledging the pressure of the final round while remaining committed to his game plan.
“The course is scoreable if you find the fairways, and that’s most important thing for me here,” said Go, whose impressive 14-under 202 created an eight-stroke gap between him and his closest pursuers heading into the final 18 holes of the second leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour sponsored by ICTSI.
Nilo Salahog matched the course record with a 64 to tie for second on 210 with Sean Jean Ramos, who carded a 70, and Que who salvaged a 71.
“I don’t have any specific target score, just taking it hole-by-hole. If I execute a good tee shot, I can be aggressive with my approach shots, but if not, I’ll focus on saving pars,” said Go, describing his strategy.
He highlighted his round with an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole where he hit a superb nine-iron approach to within 20 feet off the cup and made the putt.
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