Pauline del Rosario can’t wait to get going coming off a two-month long training in the US while Princess Superal takes a break from the Japan LPGA Step Up Tour to headline the stellar cast in the ICTSI Pradera Ladies Classic unfolding Wednesday (July 17) at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga.
Being part of the LPGA of Taiwan, the $80,000 event, one of the premier legs of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, features not only the leading Taiwanese players but also those from the other regions, including from Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
That makes the 54-hole championship put up by ICTSI an event to watch for its strong cast with Del Rosario and Superal and the rest of the compact local cast bracing for a duel of power, iron play and putting at the sprawling 27-hole golf complex inside the vast 700-hectare Pradera Verde in Barangay Prado Siongco.
“My chances could be good if I could stick to what my coach and I have been working on the past two months,” said Del Rosario, who hooked up with coach Patrick Leahy, whose used to handle golf greats Nancy Lopez and Tom Kite, in preparation for her LPGA Tour Qualifying School bid later this year.
Del Rosario ran away with a 14-stroke romp over Daniella Uy at Royal Northwoods last April but fell short of her back-to-back LPGT bid at Midlands, losing in a playoff to a resurgent Chihiro Ikeda last May.
But the former LPGT Order of Merit winner, who racked up four victories in her rookie campaign in 2017 to emerge on top of the money list, is eager to flaunt her form again together with Superal, who tied for 12th in the Route Inn Cup in Nagano Prefecture last month, her best effort thus far in her early stint in JLPGA Step Up Tour that also had her placing 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th in other events.
Thai ace Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, who beat compatriot Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro by two to reign here last year, is also back in the hunt for a repeat along with regular LPGT leg winners Onkanok Soisuwan and Supakchaya Pattanaranakrueang along with Alisara Wedchakama, Chatprapa Siriprakob and Tiranan Yoopan.
Six amateurs are also vying in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments. Inc. and backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc., all eyeing to sneak into the title picture, including Nicole Abelar, Sam Bruce, Tomi Arejola, Diana Araneta, Sam Martirez and Chanelle Avaricio.
Other pros in the fold are Alex Etter, Gretchen Villacencio, Marvi Monsalve, Pamela Mariano, Thais Chakansim Khamborn, Chitawadee Duangchan, Chommapat Pongthanarak, Chonnikam Chaiyasith, Chouvarest Chourkittisopon and Cristawan Rungruang, Koreans Dayun Kang Yeseul Lee and former leg winner Ye Nah Hwang, Dea Mahendra of Indonesia and Brunei’s Valerie Tan.