Forest Hills Classic golf tiff: Jaraula targets 2nd win

ANTIPOLO – The ICTSI Forest Hills Classic kicks off Tuesday, June 20, in a start likely to stir up play among a cluster of aces eager to score a second win and a pack of hungry bidders keen on breaking through halfway through the Philippine Golf Tour season.

But no player comes into the P2 million event at one of Forest Hills’ two championship courses with as much confidence as Reymon Jaraula, who snapped a long spell with an emphatic victory at Valley a couple of weeks back, beating Lloyd Go and Clyde Mondilla by five.

Though he hasn’t played the Nicklaus side, Jaraula said he remains optimistic of his chances at the par-71, 7105-yard layout, which requires a combination of shots from the mound to the green and sound decision-making.

“I have never played Nicklaus but I did (play) at Palmer where I posted a couple of Top 10 finishes while the missing the cut once. But coming off a big win, my confidence is high going to Forest Hills,” said Jaraula in Filipino.

But the way he routed the stellar Valley field speaks well not just of his confidence and form but his competitive fire with the Del Monte ace, who toiled for four years before scoring a follow-up to her maiden win at Pueblo de Oro in 2019, also putting accent on putting.

“If my putting clicks, I’ll have a big chance,” he added.

But precision off the tee and accuracy on iron play, plus the ability to pull off recovery shots, are also paramount to one’s title bid at the demanding course with Bacolod leg winner Ira Alido, Iloilo stop victor Rupert Zaragosa, Caliraya Springs titlist Tony Lascuña and reigning Philippine Masters champion Jhonnel Ababa all primed and fired up to get going and become the first player to win twice this year.

But a merry mix of veteran campaigners and young turks have also fortified their respective games during the break through daily training and practice rounds, setting the stage for a wild chase for the top P360,000 in the next four days.

Mondilla, who last won at Pradera Verde in the last PGT Asia event in 2020, is hard-pressed to end a long title drought although his joint runner-up finish with Go at Valley could hint at the coming of a successful campaign this week.

Go, for his part, sets off hoping to ride on that big finish as he seeks to finally score a breakthough win, while multi-titled Angelo Que and Guido van der Valk try to recall their fierce form and spark another title run in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Former leg winners Zanieboy Gialon and Jay Bayron are also expected to contend along with Keanu Jahns, Gerald Rosales, Mars Pucay, Fidel Concepcion, Sean Ramos and Enrico Gallardo while Korean Hyun Ho Rho heads the Qualifying School graduates eyeing to crash into the elite circle of PGT winners.

They include Gabriel Manotoc, Kristoffer Arevalo, Elee Bisera, Josh Jorge, Jonas Magcalayo, Ivan Monsalve, Leandro Bagtas, Nilo Salahog, Japanese Ueda Atsushi and Korean Kim Minseong.