PGT braces for another thriller as South Pacific Classic fires off

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DAVAO CITY – A trio of aces re-joins the chase in the ICTSI South Pacific Golf Classic that unwraps today (Tuesday, Oct. 28) here, promising not just a tight title race but also the potential for another photo finish that could rival last year’s sudden-death thriller at Apo Golf.

Angelo Que, Keanu Jahns, and Clyde Mondilla headline the crack field in the PHP 3.5 million Philippine Golf Tour event, each determined to stamp his class in the penultimate stage of the 10-leg circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Que, brimming with confidence after a top-30 finish in an international tournament, seeks to regain the form that netted him back-to-back victories at Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge. Jahns and Mondilla, meanwhile, return from a brief but instructive stint over the weekend, both eager to turn their frustrations into motivation and close out the Mindanao swing on a high note.

But the path to glory will be anything but easy.

Standing in their way is the in-form Fidel Concepcion, who’s riding high on confidence following his breakthrough win at Apo last Friday. That maiden victory could well be the spark he needs to prove he can win against a stronger, deeper cast this week at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates.

Joining them are local standouts Jhonnel Ababa, Zanieboy Gialon, Elee Bisera, Elmer Salvador, and Marvin Dumandan, each armed with both familiarity and pride. Dumandan, in particular, has extra motivation — he’s out for redemption after bowing to Justin Quiban in a tense four-hole playoff when South Pacific last hosted a PGT event in 2023.

But it won’t be an all-Davaoeño affair. The chase for supremacy also includes the likes of Reymon Jaraula, Guido van der Valk, Michael Bibat, Russell Bautista, Ryan Monsalve, Nilo Salahog, Dino Villanueva, and James Ryan Lam — all looking not just for a leg win but for crucial ranking points toward berths in the season-ending Match Play Championship and The Country Club Invitational.

With the PGT’s final leg set at Valley Golf on Nov. 18–21, and the Match Play Championship firing off from Nov. 25–28, this week’s stop carries heavy implications for the Order of Merit race.

That adds another layer of intrigue to a field already teeming with ambition. Que and Jahns, both two-leg winners this year, are eyeing a third crown to seize control of the OOM race. Que’s early sweep of the Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge legs, and Jahns’ back-to-back triumphs at Caliraya Springs and Bacolod have already set a high bar — but van der Valk (Forest Hills), Jaraula (Del Monte), and Concepcion are just as determined to grab a second win and tighten the standings even more.

All that sets the stage for another thrilling showdown — one that could come down to a test of nerve and precision under pressure.

If recent PGT finishes are any indication, fans might just be in for another wild ending, perhaps even a reprise of last week’s Apo drama where the title was decided in sudden death the way it was in 2024.

With Que, Jahns, Mondilla, Concepcion, and a host of hungry contenders in the mix, the ICTSI South Pacific Golf Classic is shaping up as a fitting prelude to a fiery finish to the 2025 season.