Baraquiel, Constantino fancied at Couples

Sunshine Baraquiel and Harmie Constantino loom as the players to beat when the third leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s reboot tees off on Wednesday at the Couples course for the P750,000 ICTSI Riviera Challenge in Silang, Cavite.

The duo won the last two legs and are installed as the logical picks over windswept layout with basically the same field seeing action and Princess Superal staying in Japan to pursue her tour card there.

Baraquiel ruled the super-tough Highlands leg almost two weeks ago when the field was subjected to the elements over the up-and-down, bending layout that resulted in one of the highest winning scores in the history of the circuit—nine-over-par, which was enough for a three-shot win.

“My decision-making that week was just on point,” Baraquiel, a lady pilot who decided to give the sport another go this year, said of the key to her maiden pro win.

It won’t be that demanding next week in Silang and a lot of others are tipped to join the hunt for the title like Chihiro Ikeda, Daniella Uy and amateur Mafy Singson, who lost by a stroke to Constantino in the Aoki stop at Eagle Ridge in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

The leader in the Order of Merit race with earnings of just over P315,000, Constantino checked in four strokes adrift in Tagaytay, shooting herself in the foot with a 77 and 76 in the first two rounds and never gaining ground in the final 18 holes.It was a far cry from her performance at Aoki, where she tallied a two-over-par 218 on the strength of a second round 70.