CAVINTI, Laguna – Harmie Constantino once again showed her knack for dramatic comebacks, repulsing Pauline del Rosario for the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship crown here Thursday.
The victory, marked by a decisive birdie-birdie finish at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club, came just three weeks after her remarkable recovery from a five-shot deficit at Palos Verdes in Davao. This time, Constantino overturned a three-stroke deficit to win by two strokes with a final round 69 for a 214 worth P114,000.
Mulling over her consecutive come-from-behind victories, she said: “It just happened. There’s no particular approach to it. Ideally, I’d like to lead in every round, but the key is just to stay in the moment and play my best.”
Del Rosario, who defeated Seoyun Kim by one here last year, turned in her worst card in three days – a 74, that dropped her to second at 216, that included a 73 and 69. She received P80,000.
Superal also floundered when it mattered most, slipping with a 75 after back-to-back 71s to finish tied for third at 217 with 2022 champion Chanelle Avaricio, who charged back with a 71. They halved the combined P122,000 prizes.
Constantino’s latest triumph was even more noteworthy as it came against the best-assembled Ladies Philippine Golf Tour field in years that included past Order of Merit champions.
Meantime, Clyde Mondilla skillfully turned Keanu Jahns’ misfortune on No. 18 into a lead-grabbing opportunity, capitalizing on a two-shot swing to pull ahead with a 67 in a pivotal third round.
The dramatic shift ensued as Jahns, a stroke ahead over Mondilla after 17 holes of a thrilling shootout in blustery conditions, faced an unlucky break, his drive on the closing par-4 hole landing in a divot, leading to a challenging finish and a double bogey for a 68.
This unfortunate turn for Jahns propelled Mondilla, who holed out with a regulation par, to the forefront at eight-under 208, narrowly edging out the Fil-German, who remained a strong contender for the title with a 209.
The day underscored both players’ exceptional prowess that separated them from the rest of the bidders in the P2.5 million championship put up by ICTSI, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown for the top P450,000 purse in Friday’s final round.
Mondilla, out to redeem himself from a rare missed cut stint at Palos Verdes last month following a tied for 25th place finish at Apo, recognized the threat posed by Jahns, stressing the need for a solid performance in the concluding 18 holes.
