Jennifer Rosales

LPGA veterans Jennifer Rosales and Cyna Rodriguez signed up for the ICTSI Sherwood Ladies Classic, bolstering the compact international cast in the P750,000 event firing off tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 6) at Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Cavite.

Though Rosales had not seen action much and Rodriguez had a mediocre debut on the world’s premier ladies circuit, they remain the marked players in the 54-hole championship serving as the seventh leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour owing to their skills, talent and experience.

In fact, Rodriguez used to dominate the country’s first-ever circuit sponsored by ICTSI, winning its first two Order of Merit titles while Rosales continues to instill fear, particularly on the younger crop of local and foreign players.

They include the top amateurs from the ICTSI golf stable, headed by reigning Thailand Ladies Amateur champion Pauline del Rosario, Sofia Chabon, Mika Fortuna and Kayla Nocum, along with Korean Hwang Min Jeong, who humbled the pros at the Mt. Malarayat stop last year.

Amolkan Phalajivin, who upstaged Rodriguez to nail her breakthrough LPGT win at Splendido in 2014, also heads a four-player Thailand side that includes Chatprapa Siriprakob, Ajia Nualraksa and Aunchisa Utama, upbeat of their chances to duplicate compatriots Wichanee Meechai and Wannasiri Sirisampant victories at Splendido and Manila Southwoods, respectively, last year.

Cyna Rodriguez

But the other local pros are also all primed up for the big event, headed by defending champion Sarah Ababa, former leg winner Jayvie Agojo, last year’s Luisita leg titlist Cristina Corpus and Chihiro Ikeda, who captured her maiden win at Orchard last June.

Others in the fold are Lina de Guzman, Apple Fudolin, Lovelyn Guioguo, England’s Sarah Henderson, Korean Euna Koh, Lucy Landicho, Eva Minoza, Anya Tanpinco, Sylvia Torres and Sheryl Villasencio.

Three amateurs actually ruled three of the last four legs of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Champion, TaylorMade and Pacsports. But Bernice Ilas Olivarez (Beverly Place), Yuka Saso (Eagle Ridge) and Harmie Constantino (Mt. Malarayat) have begged off to honor previous commitments.

Still, with the LPGA veterans in the fold and four Thai shotmakers, the three-day battle for the top P150,000 purse is expected to go down to the last shot and putt.