Red-hot Jahns eyes 3-peat at tricky Marapara

BACOLOD CITY – Stop Keanu Jahns.
That’s the rallying cry of the 68 other pros as the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic blasts off today (Tuesday, Sept. 9) at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club here. With back-to-back four-shot victories in the Philippine Golf Tour, the Fil-German has gone beyond simply making an impression – he has established a reign of dominance.

And with his game peaking at just the right time, the rest of the field may once again find themselves scrambling for runner-up finish.

Yet, while Jahns has looked nearly invincible, the tour now arrives on a course that may just prove to be the ultimate test. Known more widely as Marapara, the par-70 layout is equal parts charming and treacherous. It offers a masterclass in deception, with tight doglegs and greens tucked behind natural defenses that demand meticulous course management.

It’s a layout that won’t simply reward brute force – it punishes it. And that’s where the narrative could shift.

But Jahns is riding high on confidence.

“With the way I’m playing, I’m very confident with my game,” said Jahns.

But even the 29-year-old knows the dangers of overconfidence on a track like Marapara.

“I hope I could do it again,” he added with a cautious tone, acknowledging the unpredictability the course – and the competition – could bring.

And the challengers are aplenty.

Angelo Que isn’t just playing for pride. He’s out to reassert his standing after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Jahns. Fidel Concepcion, Tony Lascuña and Dutchman Guido van der Valk – each with a proven ability to score and grind – are likewise coming into the event brimming with confidence.

Koreans Tae Won Ha and Tae Soo Kim bring consistency and international experience, while rising Filipino stars like Aidric Chan, Russell Bautista, Carl Corpus and John Michael Uy are eager to announce their arrival by taking down the Tour’s new star.

Then there’s Justin Quiban, who brings with him battle scars from the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour. Though briefly returning to local soil, his overseas experience could prove vital if conditions toughen up, especially if Marapara’s notoriously unpredictable winds come into play.

Still, to beat Jahns right now may require more than skill – it may require a perfect storm.

Observers are hoping for that storm to roll in, if only to restore a bit of drama to the PGT circuit, which Jahns has made dangerously one-dimensional. His dominance threatens to drain the Tour of its traditional unpredictability, especially after his resounding wins.

While Que had earlier swept the first two legs this season in varied fashion – wire-to-wire at Pradera Verde and come-from-behind at Eagle Ridge – Jahns has turned his wins into clinics.

If Marapara has anything to say, it’s that no victory here comes easy. The course has a way of making even the best players second-guess every club, every angle, every gust. With tight fairways and strategically placed hazards, mistakes can compound quickly – and recoveries can be costly. In such an environment, mental toughness is just as vital as execution.

History here, too, lends perspective. Rupert Zaragosa returns with fond memories of his own abbreviated six-shot win last year, and Ira Alido is back on a course where a long birdie putt on the 72nd hole clinched a dramatic victory over Lascuña in 2023.

And then there are the perennial contenders – Clyde Mondilla, Sean Ramos, Michael Bibat, Zanieboy Gialon, Dino Villanueva, Collin Wheeler – all of whom possess the tools to break through, given the right momentum.

Still, no matter how deep the field or difficult the track, all eyes will still be on Jahns.

He’s shown he can win on tight courses and open ones, from frontrunner mode or with a final round charge. At Caliraya Springs, he outgunned Que down the stretch. At Binitin, he pulled away late with four birdies in his final six holes, including back-to-back daggers on Nos. 17 and 18.

Marapara may very well be his sternest test yet. But should he prevail again, it won’t just be another win – it would be a statement. A third straight triumph would etch Jahns’ name into PGT lore and leave the rest of the field searching for answers in a season rapidly becoming his own.