UNLIKE in the men’s battle, where a few clear favorites loom large, the title chase in the women’s side of the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Championship shapes up to be a wide-open battle among the tour’s brightest stars – particularly the leg winners from the just-concluded Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
The season-ending championship, which assembles the top 16 performers from the year-long circuit, unwraps on Tuesday (Nov. 25) at the demanding The Country Club layout with its shifting winds, punishing length and constantly changing character.
READ Carl Corpus holds off cousin to claim maiden PGT title at Valley
Leading the elite field is Order of Merit winner Sarah Ababa, followed by defending champion Florence Bisera, Chanelle Avaricio, Mafy Singson, Tiffany Lee, Harmie Constantino, Chihiro Ikeda, Martina Miñoza, Gretchen Villacencio, Daniella Uy, Pamela Mariano, Kristine Fleetwood, Apple Fudolin, Seoyun Kim, Velinda Castil and Kayla Nocum.
Princess Superal, winner at Caliraya Springs, is skipping the Match Play to compete in the Japan Q-School also scheduled this week.
With her withdrawal, Nocum – who finished No. 17 in the Order of Merit – steps in and will face Ababa in the opening round of the knockout duels.
Other first-day pairings pit standout against hopeful, power against promise – Bisera vs Castil; Avaricio vs Kim; Singson vs Fudolin; Lee vs Fleetwood; Constantino vs Mariano; Ikeda vs Uy, and Minoza vs Villacencio.
in the men's side, first-time Order of Merit champion Angelo Que will be looking to cap a triumphant season with another trophy in a tournament where the Top 32 performers from the 10-leg Philippine Golf Tour season will trade the grind of cumulative scoring for the ruthless, hole-by-hole combat of match play.
Though a stomach ailment forced his withdrawal in the Valley finale, Que’s dominant run – two victories at Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge plus multiple podium finishes – secured his first-ever OOM crown with P1,560,916 in earnings. Now, he turns his focus to a format where experience, nerve and adaptability weigh heavier than conventional form.
Last year’s edition underscored the volatility of match play as unheralded contenders Arnold Villacencio and Albin Engino stunned higher-ranked rivals to crash the finals before Villacencio completed the improbable run with a commanding 4&3 triumph.
Villacencio returns as the No. 20 qualifier, while Engino missed the cut at 46th in the OOM, leaving the draw wide open for new shockers to emerge.
Que opens his title bid against former national teammate Gerald Rosales, who slipped into the draw as the 32nd seed. No. 2 Keanu Jahns, who skipped the Valley leg, will test his polished all-around game against Taewon Ha, while No. 3 Fidel Concepcion braces for a gritty encounter with veteran Mars Pucay, one of the most cunning match-play duelists in the field.
Other opening-day faceoffs include Guido van der Valk vs. Marvin Dumandan; Rupert Zaragosa vs. Sean Ramos; Reymon Jaraula vs. Nilo Salahog; Russell Bautista vs. James Ryan Lam; and Jaehyun Jung vs. Chonkoo Kang.
Meanwhile, Carl Corpus, fresh off his breakthrough PGT victory at Valley, steps into his first major professional match-play challenge against Tae Soo Kim. Former Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla, familiar with TCC’s punishing layout, takes on Elee Bisera.
Rounding out the strong cast are Aidric Chan, Jeffren Lumbo, Tony Lascuña, Collin Wheeler, Mike Bibat, Atsushi Ueda, Dino Villanueva, Jhonnel Ababa, Ryan Monsalve, Zanieboy Gialon, and Gabriel Manotoc – a group stacked with power players, tacticians and seasoned match-play contenders.
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