Quiban leads contenders in wide-open Caliraya tilt

CAVINTI, Laguna – With no clear favorite and conditions ripe for surprises, the Philippine Golf Tour resumes today, Tuesday, Aug. 5, with the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship—a test of form, focus, and fortitude where anyone could break through.

The PHP2 million event has become a highly anticipated clash following the postponement of the weather-hit Valley Golf Challenge three weeks ago.

Top local pros and international regulars are eager to make up for lost ground, none more so than former PGA Tour campaigner Justin Quiban.

With limited appearances on the tour due to international commitments, the 29-year-old Quiban is making every start count.

He’s all-in at Caliraya, chasing both a win and redemption after a tied-for-10th finish at Forest Hills last June.

“The break helped—I needed the rest and used it to fine-tune my swing and mindset,” said Quiban, who last won on the tour in late 2023 via a four-hole playoff over Marvin Dumandan.

He led early at Forest Hills but faded in the middle rounds.

Still, he sees value in the experience.

“I’ve been itching to compete again, so there’s that extra edge,” he added.

“Just trying to find rhythm and see where my game is—no expectations, just play.”

Quiban, however, won’t be alone in the title hunt.

Fresh off a victory at Forest Hills, Dutchman Guido van der Valk enters with momentum.

He edged Keanu Jahns and Angelo Que by one stroke to end a long title drought—and all three are back this week aiming for another run.

Veterans Tony Lascuña, Jhonnel Ababa, Zanieboy Gialon, Rupert Zaragosa, Mike Bibat, and Ira Alido bolster the field, while a host of hungry challengers eye the top prize in what’s shaping up to be one of the most evenly matched stops on the circuit.

The course itself is no less of a player.

Set against the scenic backdrop of Caliraya Lake, the Arnold Palmer-designed layout is as demanding as it is picturesque.

It features water hazards, bold elevation shifts, and slippery slopes that punish the slightest lapse in precision.

Recent rains have softened the fairways and greens, likely stretching the course and placing a premium on distance control and mental resilience.

In conditions like these, past wins and rankings matter little.

That makes Caliraya a stage wide open for the taking.

Clyde Mondilla, the 2024 champion, is skipping this edition due to prior commitments, but the field remains deep.

ADT Morocco back-to-back champions Aidric Chan and Carl Corpus—cousins by blood and rivals by ambition—are expected to shake things up.

Korean Tae Soo Kim, who tied for third last year, returns along with Japanese standout Daiya Suzuki and American Collin Wheeler, headlining a strong international contingent in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.