Yuka Saso, the reigning World Junior Girls champion, headlines a talent-laden roster of amateurs raring to slug it out with a crack international pro field in the $80,000 ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters unfolding Wednesday at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa.
Saso, who bagged the individual crown and led the Philippines to the team championship in the World Junior Girls championship in Canada last September, expects a tough outing against the cream of the pro crop but remains confident as ever to figure for top honors in the 54-hole tournaement serving as the final leg of the Taiwan LPGA Tour and the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
Also in the amateur list is national champion Harmie Constantino, member of that World Junior Girls champion squad and winner of the LPGT ICTSI Malarayat Ladies Classic last July, and Korean teener Hwang Min Jeong, who also humbled the pro field to win at Malarayat last year.
Pauline del Rosario also hopes to ride the crest of a three-title run, including two in Malaysia and Singapore, as the top The Country Club bet joins the title hunt along with TCC teammate Mikha Fortuna, Abegail Arevalo and Sam Martirez in the event sponsored by ICTSI and co-organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and TLPGA.
Others in the fold are Annika Guangko Isabela Miravite and Marvi Monsalve.
But focus will still be on Korean Lee Jeong Hwa, who swept the first two legs of the Taiwan LPGA and ICTSI LPGT.