Hungry pros brace for wide-open battle at ICTSI Caliraya

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The Philippine Golf Tour resumes with a vengeance next week as a hungry, battle-tested field returns from a two-month break eager to seize momentum in what shapes up to be a fierce and wide-open chase for the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship crown beginning May 19 in Cavinti, Laguna.

With the demanding Caliraya Springs Golf Club offering birdie chances alongside danger at nearly every turn, the PHP 2.5 million championship promises four days of high-stakes shotmaking, calculated risk-taking, and survival golf, where a single gust of wind or one errant swing could instantly alter the leaderboard.

The second leg of this year’s 10-stage PGT season unfolds on the Arnold Palmer-designed layout renowned for its rolling terrain, deceptive angles, and water hazards guarding key stretches of the course.

While Caliraya can yield low scores, the ever-present winds sweeping across the property are expected to heighten the challenge and place premium value on precision, patience, and decision-making under pressure.

Defending champion Keanu Jahns returns determined to reassert his dominance after overpowering the field by four shots in last year’s edition.

But he faces a deeper, sharper, and more motivated cast, all eager to make an early statement in the season.

Leading the charge is Sean Ramos, who looms as a major threat after a strong showing in the recent Asian Development Tour event, where he narrowly missed an ADT breakthrough in a playoff.

With his game further sharpened by international campaigns, Ramos heads to Caliraya carrying both confidence and momentum.

Angelo Que, meanwhile, is out to end a string of near-misses at Caliraya.

The three-time Asian Tour winner finished fifth at Lakewood and remains driven to finally break through after settling for runner-up honors in the last two editions — first to Clyde Mondilla in 2024 and then to Jahns last year.

Mondilla himself is eyeing a second Caliraya title in three years, while multi-titled campaigners Tony Lascuna, Reymon Jaraula, Rupert Zaragosa, Jhonnel Ababa, and Guido van der Valk are all expected to figure prominently in the title hunt in the blue-ribbon championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

The next generation of stars is likewise ready to challenge the veterans.

Cousins Carl Corpus and Aidric Chan continue to gain experience and polish from overseas stints, while Jeffren Lumbo and Russell Bautista — who figured in a gripping five-hole playoff at South Pacific last year — are tipped to provide another strong challenge.

Ha Taewon, still stung by his playoff defeat to Justin Quiban in the kickoff leg at Lakewood last March, is also back with redemption on his mind as he banners a strong international contingent that includes Atsushi Ueda, Kim Tae Soo, Jisung Cheong, Ryoto Furuta, Lee Song, Daiya Suzuki, Hyun Jin Youn, Ugo Ottogalli, Nakajima Hikaru, Junghyeon Son, and Fil-Am Ivan Yabut.

With proven champions, rising stars, and hungry contenders all converging on one of the tour’s most unpredictable venues, the stage appears set for a volatile and potentially dramatic championship where experience, nerve, and adaptability could matter just as much as firepower.