Clyde Mondilla hopes to put it all together back at “home” in pursuit of the elusive win when the Philippine Golf Tour swings to Tarlac for the ICTSI Luisita Championship beginning 9 May.
“Hopefully, I can recover at Luisita),” said Mondilla in the vernacular after placing fifth in the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship two weeks ago.
The 2019 Philippine Open champion was also in contention in Bacolod last month but was unable to unleash a strong finishing kick that has marked his previous triumphs.
But back at Luisita, which he calls home and where he won last in 2018, the Del Monte ace is confident he can make the most of his local knowledge of the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed layout to get back into the winner’s podium.
Last year, he lost to Miguel Tabuena in sudden death.
The P2 million event serves as the fourth leg of this year’s PGT put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
Tony Lascuña, the Caliraya Springs champion, remains the marked player next week, along with Bacolod leg winner Ira Alido and Iloilo titlist Rupert Zaragosa.
Dutch Guido van der Valk, the runaway back-to-back The Country Club Invitational winner, is also tipped to contend for the championship.
Others in the hunt are Reymon Jaraula, Michael Bibat, Jhonnel Ababa, Marvin Dumandan, Elmer Salvador, Mars Pucay and Jay Bayron and young guns Sean Ramos, Gabby Manotoc and Korean Rho Hyun Ho.
But no one comes into the event with as much confidence as Mondilla, who is using the tournament as part of his buildup for his Asian Development Tour campaign, starting with the Phuket Open on 25 to 28 May in Thailand.
“I’m preparing to compete again in the ADT with an eye on earning a shot at an Asian Tour card next year,” Mondilla said.