ILOILO City – Fresh from ending a 14-year title drought, Art Arbole shoots for a second straight Philippine Golf Tour championship as he carries his breakthrough momentum into the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge beginning today at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club.
Arbole arrives for the seventh leg of the season riding high after capturing the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic, where he survived a tense final-round battle to finally secure his first PGT championship.
The Del Monte native, now based in Canlubang, saw his early advantage disappear in Negros and fell three strokes behind former Order of Merit champion Jhonnel Ababa.
But Arbole refused to fold, stringing together birdies beginning at the ninth hole to regain control before holding off Jeffren Lumbo down the stretch for the long-awaited victory.
“Cloud 9 pa rin ang pakiramdam ko. Yung confidence ko mas tumaas kasi dati parang may takot ako na wala pa ding mangyayari sa laro ko,” Arbole said.
The breakthrough victory could prove crucial for Arbole as he tackles the Iloilo Golf and Country Club layout, where narrow fairways and demanding shot-making will put a premium on accuracy and course management.
His steady driving, approach shots and putting proved decisive in Negros, and Arbole hopes to carry the same all-around form into Iloilo.
“Sana dito sa Iloilo, maging maganda pa din ang ipakita ko,” he said.
Standing in the way of Arbole’s back-to-back title bid is a deep field featuring Ababa, Tony Lascuña, Clyde Mondilla, Rupert Zaragosa, Reymon Jaraula, Guido van der Valk, Lumbo and Zanieboy Gialon.
Gialon, in particular, returns to familiar territory after dominating the 2024 Iloilo Challenge, where he cruised to a six-stroke victory over Angelo Que and Ira Alido.
Que is also looking to bounce back after settling for a share of 13th place in Negros. The reigning Order of Merit champion has already captured two legs this season, including the previous tournament at Summit Point.
The P2.5-million tournament, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., also features Russell Bautista, Collin Wheeler, Michael Bibat, Dino Villanueva, Ryan Monsalve, Gabriel Manotoc, Arnold Villacencio, Elee Bisera, Kim Tae Soo, Nilo Salahog, Jay Bayron, Mars Pucay and Gerald Rosales.
For Arbole, the Iloilo Challenge presents an immediate test of whether his long-awaited Negros breakthrough can trigger a championship run on the Tour./PN
