Sep 28, 2026
Wide-open ICTSI Iloilo Challenge set for thrilling finish
MANILA, Philippines – With two of the last three Philippine Golf Tour legs decided by one stroke and the other by two, the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge is shaping up for another tense and unpredictable finish when the P2.5-million championship gets going Tuesday (Sept. 29) at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Iloilo.
And if the depth of the field is any indication, identifying a clear favorite could prove as difficult as winning the title itself.
A different champion could emerge yet again, adding another layer of intrigue to the seventh leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. The field brings together proven champions, seasoned campaigners and a crop of young contenders eager to disrupt the established order, making the outcome virtually impossible to call.
The former Santa Barbara layout should provide a fitting stage for the battle, with hazards at every corner and a premium placed on precision and judgment from one hole to the next.
At the par-70 course, where a single mistake can quickly erase a hard-earned advantage, one quality figures to be crucial throughout the four-day championship: course management.
Each player, meanwhile, arrives with a different mission.
Angelo Que is chasing a third victory of the season after ruling the Caliraya Springs and Summit Point legs. The veteran has already shown his ability to close out tournaments, but the depth of the Iloilo field leaves little room for complacency.
“I’m just out here to have fun since, you know, I like this golf course. It’s a thinking course. At least nakapagpahinga ako nang kaunti. Nakauwi ako and then I rested before coming here, so hopefully I’m not as tired as I was last week,” said Que, the Summit Point leg winner who was still finding his form after a stint in Taiwan and finished tied for 12th in Negros Occidental last week.
Art Arbole, on the other hand, returns with momentum and renewed belief after finally ending a 14-year wait for a championship. He led, stumbled and recovered to capture last week’s Negros Occidental Classic, holding off a host of veteran rivals before edging Jeffren Lumbo by one stroke.
Zanieboy Gialon also has a special reason to feel confident on a course where he produced one of his most impressive victories. Two years ago, he turned what had been billed as a final-round shootout into a runaway six-shot triumph over Que and Ira Alido.
After finishing fourth in Negros, Gialon now hopes to end a two-year winless stretch and reclaim the title at the country’s oldest golf course.
Former Order of Merit winner Jhonnel Ababa, meanwhile, is seeking redemption after his late collapse in Negros.
Ababa shared the first-round lead with Arbole, remained just one stroke behind after the next two rounds and then surged ahead early in the final round. But a costly backside meltdown, coupled with Arbole’s late charge, allowed the latter to regain control.
Arbole eventually held his nerve to frustrate Lumbo, who was seeking a second career crown after outlasting Russell Bautista on the fifth extra hole in last year’s South Pacific Classic.
But the list of players capable of breaking through does not end there.
Clyde Mondilla, Tony Lascuña, Reymon Jaraula, Rupert Zaragosa, Jay Bayron and Guido van der Valk – all multi-titled campaigners still looking for their first victory of the season – add even more uncertainty to an already crowded title picture.
“Medyo masikip talaga dito. Walang power advantage, at hindi talaga puwedeng atakihin ang greens. So, you have to play the position. Sa second shot, kailangan nasa harap ka lang palagi. Makapal din ang rough, kaya kailangan diretso ang palo mo off the tee,” said Mondilla.
Asian Tour mainstay Justin Quiban also takes advantage of a break on the region’s premier circuit due to the Asian Games competitions in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. He further strengthens the field while seeking his second PGT victory of the year after winning the season-opening Lakewood Championship in come-from-behind fashion last March.
Then there are the hungry contenders – Dino Villanueva, Elee Bisera and Nilo Salahog – along with young guns Gab Manotoc, Ryan Monsalve, Kristoffer Arevalo, Leandro Bagtas, Josh Jorge and Jonas Magcalayo, plus Fil-Ams Ivan Yabut and Jeremy Tandoy.
Any one of them could alter the complexion of the championship with one strong round.
A slew of foreign bidders further complicates the equation, led by Kim Tae Soo, Lee Song, Miki Ryoma, Jisung Cheon, Hyun Jin Youn and Kim Tae Won.
With so many players possessing the game and experience to contend – and with the recent legs decided by razor-thin margins – the Iloilo Championship could once again come down to the final few holes, or even the final shot.
The only certainty heading into Tuesday’s opening round is that there are plenty of players capable of winning.
And that could make for four days of relentless jostling for position, with the leaderboard likely to change hands repeatedly before the next champion is finally crowned. TMT
