TARLAC—Daniella Uy expects to have built her patience even as she focuses on progress coming off a pair of final round miscues, seeking a second victory in the ICTSI Luisita Championship beginning today (Tuesday) at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here.
Uy blew a huge final round lead in the Iloilo stop of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour last month and failed to sustain a strong second round charge at Caliraya Springs that stymied her drive for a follow-up to her breakthrough victory at Riviera in 2021.
But the former Junior World champion is confident of completing a top podium finish this week while putting emphasis on driving and putting in pursuit of the crown in the 54-hole championship.
“I hope to get my second win at Luisita but I don’t have any expectations,” said Uy, who also campaigns on the LPGA of Taiwan Tour and honed her skills in the US during the pandemic. “I just want to have fun and not force anything on the golf course.”
After storming into contention with a second round 67 at Caliraya and ending up joint fifth with a closing 74 three weeks ago, Uy worked on her long game and putting during the break to get her A-ready for the Luisita battle.
“Hitting good drives would help me shoot lower scores at the tight Luisita course and hitting a lot of fairways and sinking putts would help me win this tournament,” she added.
Aside from tackling a challenging, water-laced course, Uy also needs to overcome the likes of Harmie Constantino, Chihiro Ikeda, Florence Bisera and Pamela Mariano with young Korean Kim Seoyun also tipped to figure in the title race following a strong runner-up finish at Caliraya.
Constantino and Bisera hope to cash in on their joint third place effort at Caliraya with the former, who swept the last two legs of last year’s LPGT at Pradera Verde and Villamor, also raring to get back into the winning track after placing seventh at Marapara and ending up joint sixth in Iloilo.
Others seeking to sneak into the title hunt are former leg winner Sarah Ababa, Rev Alcantara, Apple Fudolin, Gretchen Villacencio, Sheryl Villasencio, Lovelynn Guioguio, Lucy Landicho, Eva Minoza, Kristine Fleetwood, Majorie Pulumbarit, Korean Yang Juyoung and amateurs Laurea Duque and Nam Eunhua, also from Korea.
