Avaricio wins as Go nears Pinewoods title

BAGUIO — Chanelle Avaricio stormed back from five shots down to capture the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge women’s crown, while Lloyd Go moved to the brink of the men’s championship after stretching his lead to 12 strokes at Pinewoods Golf Club.

Avaricio took advantage of calmer conditions after howling winds battered the mountain layout a day earlier, closing with a two-under 70 to finish with a 54-hole total of one-over 217 in the third leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

The win earned Avaricio the top purse of PHP 125,000 in the PHP 1 million championship.

“I never really thought about being five down because this course is so difficult – anything can happen out here,” said Avaricio, who finished with a 54-hole total of one-over 217 to claim the top P125,000 purse in the third leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Avaricio opened with a 71 before slipping to a 76, then rediscovered her rhythm in the final round behind a blistering front-nine rally that erased the deficit and put pressure on overnight contender Tiffany Lee.

“I played really well on the front nine,” she said. “My putting finally clicked, and I made a couple of 12-foot birdie putts.”

But Avaricio said Pinewoods offered little margin for error.

“One bad hole can put you in trouble, and it’s really hard to recover,” she said.

Avaricio said patience became the key to surviving a course made more demanding by shifting conditions throughout the week.

“This course really tested my patience,” said Avaricio, who opened with a 71 before struggling to a 76.

The victory marked another strong response from Avaricio, who earlier absorbed a playoff loss to Sarah Ababa at Del Monte before bouncing back with a seven-shot triumph at Apo.

Avaricio nearly let the title slip away after three-putt bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16 cut her lead and opened the door for Lee and Harmie Constantino.

“I started feeling a little nervous over the closing stretch, especially after seeing the leaderboard on No. 16,” said Avaricio. “I was a bit rattled that’s why I three-putted Nos. 15 and 16.”

Avaricio steadied herself with pars on Nos. 17 and 18, choosing conservative shots over risky attempts as Constantino and Lee chased from behind.

“This course really tests not just your skills, but every aspect of your game and mindset,” she said.

Constantino birdied three of the last five holes to card a 72, while Lee recovered from early struggles with back-to-back birdies from No. 14 to salvage a 76.

Constantino and Lee finished one shot behind Avaricio at 218.

Avaricio said her confidence was boosted by last week’s Qingdao Open on the China LPGA Tour, where she narrowly made the cut and rallied to finish tied for 15th.

“I think it definitely helped,” she said. “The course we played in China was also very tough, with firm greens that weren’t very receptive. Playing there prepared me well for the conditions this week.”

Avaricio also drew inspiration from her family, whose support throughout the Pinewoods campaign gave her an added lift.

Daniella Uy shot a 73 to finish fourth at 224.

Ababa fired the day’s best score of 69 to place fifth at 225.

Princess Superal rebounded with a 73 to share sixth at 227 with Gretchen Villacencio and Mafy Singson, who closed with 75 and 77, respectively.

In the men’s division, Go overcame his first signs of vulnerability after two dominant rounds and stayed firmly in control of the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge.

Go survived a birdie-less front nine and finished with a 70 to reach 15-under 201 after 54 holes in the PHP 2.5 million championship at the par-35-37 Pinewoods Golf Club.

The 31-year-old Cebuano, who opened with 64 and 67, will carry a 12-shot lead into the final 18 holes.

Go is chasing the PHP 441,500 top prize and his second Philippine Golf Tour title after breaking through at Palos Verdes in 2024.

Go opened the third round with a 38 on the front nine, then recovered with six birdies against one bogey on the back nine.

His closing 32 was highlighted by a four-birdie run from No. 14.

“The first three holes were the hardest here, and I actually played them pretty well, so it was a good start,” said Go, who opened with regulation pars. “I hit a lot of good shots on the front nine, but I kept ending up in the wrong spots – unlike in the first two rounds – which led to some bogeys.”

He added, “But I steadied myself on the back nine.”

Go said he would keep a simple approach for the final round.

“I’ll just stick to my own game and try to find more fairways and greens,” he said of his final-round approach.

Go also said he must avoid repeating his two three-putt mistakes and two bogeys from water hazards, errors that barely affected his wide lead.

His advantage puts him in position to surpass Reymon Jaraula’s nine-stroke victory over Rupert Zaragosa at Del Monte last year.

Go, an Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour campaigner who also competed in Japan last year, entered the week with no previous experience at Pinewoods.

That unfamiliarity did not show as he opened with a 64 highlighted by two eagles under preferred-lies rules, then followed with a 67 in windy conditions.

Jeffren Lumbo shot a 73 for 213 and remained Go’s closest pursuer.

Clyde Mondilla carded the day’s best score of 69 to stand at 217.

Rupert Zaragosa matched par 72 for 218.

Tony Lascuña shot a 70 to share fifth at 219 with Randy Garalde, who also fired a two-under card; Taewon Ha, who carded a 71; Fidel Concepcion, who posted a 72; and Lee Song, who faltered with a 75.

The third round also produced two hole-in-one feats on the 120-yard No. 12.

Mars Pucay, a hometown favorite, used a 52-degree wedge and a Srixon No. 4 ball.

Guido van der Valk used a 54-degree wedge and a Srixon ball to record the eighth hole-in-one of his career.

Pucay and van der Valk each received a PHP 20,000 bonus from organizer Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Both players finished with 73s, with Pucay moving to joint 12th at 222 and van der Valk gaining a share of 15th at 223.