Ramos eyes redemption as ICTSI Caliraya unfolds

CAVINTI, Laguna — Sean Ramos returns to familiar ground this week carrying both confidence and unfinished business as he spices up a stellar field in the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship, which gets underway Tuesday, May 19, at the Caliraya Springs Golf and Country Club here.

Fresh from a near-breakthrough on the Asian Development Tour in Malaysia, where he lost in a three-man playoff in Selangor two weeks ago, Ramos hopes to ride that momentum into what could be a long-awaited second Philippine Golf Tour title.

“Definitely, I’m very hungry for a win after coming off a good week at ADT in Malaysia,” said Ramos. “I’m always thankful when I’m home and get to play the local tour.”

The talented shotmaker first broke through on the PGT by capturing the inaugural Lakewood Championship in 2024 over veterans Tony Lascuña and Reymon Jaraula. Since then, Ramos has remained one of the tour’s most consistent performers, balancing campaigns on the Asian Tour and ADT while regularly contending locally.

Now back at Caliraya, where he tied for seventh last year, Ramos believes the challenging layout could reward disciplined play and smart decision-making as much as power.

“I’m very excited to be back at Caliraya. It’s a good course and an event I look forward to every year,” he said.

Still, Ramos is keeping expectations in check despite his solid form.

“Same preparations with all my events. I have been working with my coaches to get my game in the right direction for this year,” he said. “I always try to play with no expectations, so I’m just hoping to put myself in contention and take it from there.”

But Ramos faces a loaded field in the PHP 2.5 million championship, the second stop of this season’s 10-leg circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Defending champion Keanu Jahns is back to anchor his title defense, while reigning Order of Merit winner Angelo Que, multi-titled Clyde Mondilla, Guido van der Valk, Jhonnel Ababa, Rupert Zaragosa, Jaraula, and Lascuña are all expected to contend in what shapes up as another wide-open battle.

Rising stars Carl Corpus and Aidric Chan are likewise tipped to challenge, adding youthful firepower to an already deep cast.

The tournament resumes the tour after a two-month break following the Lakewood Championship in Cabanatuan City last March, a pause that appears to have only heightened the players’ hunger heading into the rest of the season.

Adding to the challenge is the Caliraya Springs course itself, long regarded as one of the circuit’s most unpredictable tests. While power can provide a distinct advantage, accuracy, patience, course management, and composure under pressure remain equally vital to contending on its demanding layout.

That volatile mix could set the stage for a dramatic finish.

The tournament also features a strong international contingent led by Korean standout Ha Taewon, runner-up to absentee Justin Quiban at Lakewood, along with Daiya Suzuki, Hyun Jin Youn, Ugo Ottogalli, Nakajima Hikaru, Junghyeon Son, Atsushi Ueda, Kim Tae Soo, Jisung Cheong, Ryoto Furuta, Lee Song, and Fil-Am Ivan Yabut.