Harmie seeks to sustain form at ICTSI Highlands

MANILA, Philippines — Harmie Constantino exudes confidence heading to the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Challenge, determined to re-assert her mastery over practically the same field she has bested at Eagle Ridge Aoki last week when the P750,000 event is fired off Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the Tagaytay Highlands Golf and Country Club.

But the former national champion expects a sterner test than what she has faced four days ago as her rivals set out for an al- out campaign to foil her backd-to-back title bid. The wind-swept Highlands course is also tipped to offer daunting challenges and its up-and-down layout to likewise put emphasis on stamina and condition of the competing field.

“I’m expecting well from myself,” said Constantino, who needed to toughen up in the stretch to pull off a one-stroke win over amateur Mafy Singson and score a repeat at Aoki, where she launched her pro career with a two-shot victory over Princess Superal last March.

“I hope that the way I played (at Aoki) will be the same way I would be playing at Highlands,” she added.

But it will take a lot of adjustments, not just from her but from the rest of the 21-player cast as well, guaranteeing another spirited chase for the crown in the second of four tournaments lined up by the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour's third restart.

Superal dominated the last time Highlands hosted the LPGT in 2018 but the multi-titled shotmaker is now in Japan to resume her campaign for an LPGA of Japan Tour card, leaving Constantino and the likes of Chihiro Ikeda, Chanelle Avaricio, Marvi Monsalve, Sunshine Baraquiel and Daniella Uy to dispute the crown in the 54-hole championship.

Ikeda repulsed Pauline del Rosario in the playoff to reign at the adjacent Tagaytay Midlands in 2019 but the former struggled while fighting off a hand injury although her strong finish at Aoki where she rallied to snatch third place should augur well for her campaign this week.

Avaricio, runner-up to Superal at Sherwood Hills and Eagle Ridge-Norman before the circuit took a break due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in NCR Plus last July, is also tipped to contend again this week after fighting back from out of nowhere to fourth place last week.

Beefing up the Highlands cast is Arnie Taguines, who skipped last week’s event but is expected to figure in the title race in the 54-hole tournament while resuming her drive for a second low amateur honors after besting her rivals at Eagle Ridge-Norman.

Others in the fold are Lovelyn Guioguio, Sheryl Villesencio, Sarah Ababa, Apple Fudolin, Pamela Mariano, Eva Miñoza and Florence Bisera with Gretchen Villacencio also joining the chase after missing the action at Aoki.

The talented bunch of amateurs are also expected to muddle up the race with Singson out to complete an unfinished business along with Laurea Duque, Burberry Zhang, Keena Puzon, Korean Jane Jeong and Eagle Ace Superal, who is out to atone for her poor finish at Aoki.

Meanwhile, the Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite, which hosted the first LPGT restart late last year after an eight-month hiatus, will stage the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Challenge on Nov. 24-26 and the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship on Dec. 1-3 at the Couples and Langers courses.