Alido vows to come out wiser, better at Pueblo

CAGAYAN de Oro, Philippines — Young Ira Alido hopes to come out stronger and a lot tougher from a recent debacle as he resumes his chase for a maiden Philippine Golf Tour win against the top guns from talent-rich Mindanao and elsewhere in the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship, which gets going today here.

Alido, 18, led by two in the third round of the Aboitiz Invitational at Wack Wack East last week but cracked under pressure and hobbled home with a 77, losing by two strokes to playoff winner Tarik Can of the US.

But he vowed to come out wiser and better this week with an eye for a breakthrough as the ICTSI-sponsored circuit kicks off its gruelling season-ending stretch down south at the Pueblo de Oro course tipped to provide a different kind of challenge for the men of the tour coming off a punishing test at the tight Wack Wack.

But dangers also lurk at Pueblo’s winding fairways, menacing bunkers and deep ravines with the wind expected to add up to the challenge, making the title chase in the P2.5 million event doubly interesting.

Del Monte will host the next stop on Sept. 18-21 while Davao takes its turn on Oct. 2-5 for the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational before the circuit winds up its 10th season at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates, also in Davao, on Oct. 9-12.

That should also make the region’s leading players, led by the veterans and rising stars from Davao and Del Monte, as the men to watch in the next four days, including Jay Bayron, Tony Lascuña, Jhonnel Ababa and Elmer Salvador along with Clyde Mondilla, Reymon Jaraula, Johvanie Abaño, Magno Arancon, Jelbert Gamolo and Noel Langamin.

But Bayron, Mondilla and company also expect a fierce challenge from the rest of the 73-player field, including former Phl Masters titlist Jerson Balasabas, Michael Bibat, Marvin Dumandan, Zanieboy Gialon, Keanu Jahns, Mars Pucay, Joenard Rates, Gerald Rosales and Rupert Zaragosa.

Twenty-four foreign bets are also keen on spoiling the locals’ title bid in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., all of them ready to duplicate young Korean Kim Joo Young’s title run here last year, including Thai Kammalas Namuangruk and Macedonia’s Peter Stojanovski.