Davao City hosts the penultimate leg of the Philippine Golf Tour, with Rupert Zaragosa and a deep field of contenders chasing the P2.5-million championship.
A string of close finishes has made the Philippine Golf Tour’s title race increasingly unpredictable, setting the stage for another tense showdown at the ICTSI South Pacific Classic, which starts Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City.
Rupert Zaragosa’s narrow victory at last week’s Pueblo de Oro Championship underscored how little separates the country’s top golfers, with no player establishing a commanding lead as the circuit heads into the four-day, P2.5-million tournament.
Zaragosa nearly missed his breakthrough moment at Pueblo de Oro. He bogeyed the final hole without realizing he had done enough to win, until his caddie assured him that he had survived the tight finish and ended a yearlong title drought.
“I actually had a feeling I could win at Pueblo because everything felt right. My game was in good shape, I was hitting the ball well, and my putting was coming together. I felt I had a real chance,” Zaragosa said.
The victory marked his fourth career title, following his breakthrough win in Iloilo in 2023 and back-to-back triumphs at the Negros Occidental leg in 2024 and 2025.
After several campaigns in which he contended but failed to close out the tournament, Zaragosa finally put everything together at Pueblo de Oro. He stayed within striking distance through the first three rounds before closing with a 68 to beat Keanu Jahns and Zanieboy Gialon by one stroke.
With his confidence restored, Zaragosa hopes to carry that momentum into South Pacific, where a strong field is ready to extend the tour’s run of nail-biting finishes.
The recent stretch of close contests has been remarkable. Angelo Que edged Aidric Chan by two strokes at Summit Point, Art Arbole claimed his first victory in Negros Occidental by one over Jeffren Lumbo, and Jhonnel Ababa snapped a two-year title drought with a one-shot win over Lumbo in Iloilo. Zaragosa continued the trend at Pueblo de Oro, setting up another potential thriller in Davao.
Lumbo will be eager to make up for his recent near misses. After finishing runner-up in consecutive tournaments, he remained in contention at Pueblo de Oro before fading in the final round. But the defending South Pacific champion has reason to feel confident at a course where he outlasted Russell Bautista in a grueling five-hole playoff last year.
Lumbo will try to become a back-to-back champion and add another victory to his record at the event.
Bautista, meanwhile, will seek redemption after his heartbreaking playoff loss last year and a late stumble at Pueblo de Oro. He controlled the race for much of the final round last week but faltered under pressure, leaving him determined to finish the job when another opportunity comes.
Jahns and Gialon also have unfinished business after coming within a stroke of forcing a playoff at Pueblo de Oro. Jahns briefly took the lead in the fiercely contested final round but missed a 16-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole that could have extended the battle. Gialon pulled level with Zaragosa and Jahns down the stretch but bogeyed the final hole to finish one shot short.
Clyde Mondilla is another contender to watch. His power off the tee put him in control after the third round at Pueblo de Oro, but he struggled to create birdie chances over the final 18 holes. He managed just one late birdie, on No. 17, to salvage fourth place. A sharper approach game could make him a serious threat at South Pacific.
Que, meanwhile, hopes to rediscover the form that carried him to his second leg victory of the season at Summit Point. Since that win, he has finished tied for 12th in Negros Occidental, shared 21st in Iloilo, and tied for ninth at Pueblo de Oro.
The veteran remains determined to return to the winner’s circle. With the Order of Merit title also at stake, Que is eyeing a late-season surge that could deliver a third victory and strengthen his bid to retain the season-long honors.
The South Pacific Classic is the penultimate stop on the 10-leg circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. The tour moves to nearby Apo Golf and Country Club next week for the season-ending leg, where Ababa and the other local aces are expected to lead the home challenge and defend their turf. PR