Agojo toughens up in search of first pro title

SEEKING to win for the first time as a pro on Philippine soil, Jayvie Agojo has turned to a new physical conditioning regimen to enhance her chances in the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s final leg in Baguio this week.

After winning several titles as an amateur here and abroad, Agojo had two runner-up and two fifth place finishes in the first four events of the Ladies Tour, but was never within striking distance in all of them.

Agojo has taken up plyometrics training at the House of Pain of John Aquino for strengthening and will put her new routine to the test when the Tour goes to its final stop at up-and-down Camp John Hay in Baguio.

“Since John Hay is a hilly course, I need to be in tip-top condition but emphasis should be on putting and I need a little bit of luck to win,” said Agojo.

The petite charmer will actually be coming off a breakthrough win at the Singha LPGA in Thailand last month, but that field didn’t have the names that have kept her at bay in the local tour.

Cyna Rodriguez, with the continued absence of Dottie Ardina, is the hands-on pick to win a third straight title.

Ardina won the first two legs, at The Country Club and Canlubang in Laguna and Agojo finished second in both.

“The Thai tournament is a different thing, but I’ll try to bring to John Hay the good memories (of that win) and good shots that I did in Thailand,” said Agojo.

At John Hay, Rodriguez will again obviously have the advantage because of her length, but Agojo maintains that putting will be the key since it is a relatively short course playing to a par-69.

“John Hay is nobody’s home course. The key is to practice more and build confidence,” said Agojo, who still trains with Team ICTSI coach Bong Lopez.

A pro-am tournament will be held today with the pro-amateur pairing coming from the leading players in the ranks and officials and guests of the event’s chief backers.  Musong R. Castillo