DAVAO CITY — Daniella launches her drive for a third straight Ladies Philippine Golf Tour victory in the ICTSI South Pacific Classic blasting off Tuesday at the South Pacific Golf Club here.
No one from among the compact 24-player field is coming into the P1 million championship with as much confidence and resolve than Uy. She bagged the championships at Forest Hills last June, and at Del Monte last week.
“I’m confident I can win again,” Uy said.
She drew Harmie Constantino, Mikha Fortuna and Monica Mandario in the 8:10 a.m. flight on No. 1, after the foursome of amateurs Mafy Singson and Velinda Castil, Gretchen Villacencio and Sarah Ababa.
“At Forest Hills, it was more like of playing it safe. But in Del Monte, I was very confident of my drives. Since the course is rather long for us, I forced myself to hit the driver and it worked since it gave me more chances for birdies,” Uy said.
She is the former Junior World champion, who scored her LPGT breakthrough at Riviera in 2021.
But it took her long before scoring a second victory, enduring a number of sorry misses, including a playoff loss to Constantino at Luisita, before edging Yvon Bisera by one in Antipolo.
Determined to go further her game, Uy vied in the LPGA of Japan Tour Q-School and passed the first stage of the grueling qualifier. Her stint this week and in the next LPGT leg at Mimosa will be gauge to her readiness to compete against the region’s other rising players.
She posted a joint 18th finish and will head to Stage II next month on a roll. Asian Games-bound Lois Kaye Go, who tied for 27th, likewise resumes her bid for a pro card.
But at South Pacific, no one holds a distinct edge, this being the first time that the Arnold Palmer-designed par-72 layout will play host to the meet.
The course is one of Sta. Lucia Realty’s top championship layouts, which features a great landscape of creeks and ponds and rolling greens.
That should give the rest equal footing in the battle for top honors with last week’s joint second placers — Korean Seoyun Kim and Singson and Castil — eyeing another shot at the crown along with two-leg winner Constantino and Pamela Mariano and local aces Yvon Bisera, Ababa and Chihiro Ikeda.
