Ababa upbeat as Calatagan golf tourney rolls off

Humbled at the course he calls home last year, Jhonnel Ababa is aching for revenge in the ICTSI Calatagan Golf Challenge blasting off Wednesday at Calatagan Golf Club in Batangas.

He knows Clyde Mondilla, winner of last year’s edition by eight shots, is again on a roll, but Ababa is upbeat that his familiarity with the course will be the key to victory in the P2.5 million tournament that lured an 82-man international field.

“I have the edge here since I’m very familiar with the course,” said Ababa, out to snap a long title spell on the Philippine Golf Tour.

“There are reachable but tricky holes and some may think twice to attack them. But I will always go for it,” said Ababa, who honed his skills at Calatagan during his amateur days. “More importantly, I feel good and I know I can beat anybody here, even Mondilla or (Tony) Lascuña.” —ROY LUARCA