ROUND 1 of the ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour set today has been canceled due to the threat of super typhoon “Nando,” the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation said yesterday.
Instead, the tournament, reduced to 36 holes, will start tomorrow, Wednesday, and end on Thursday at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Lipa, Batangas.
“To ensure everyone’s safety and the best possible playing conditions, the management has decided to reduce the tournament to 2 Rounds (36 holes),” organizers said.
The tourney features La Salle-1’s Julia Lua and Ateneo-2’s Shane Tan, who are poised to ignite one of Philippine sports’ most storied rivalries – this time, not on the hardwood but on the fairways.
Both leg winners – Lua reigning at Royal Northwoods and Tan emerging triumphant at Pradera Verde – bring firepower, focus and a shared hunger to dominate in the opening round of the three-day Finals. Their showdown is tipped to be one of the tournament’s marquee matchups, a duel packed with sparks, tension and the weight of school pride.
Yet the battle for the women’s individual crown promises more than a two-player contest. Six of the country’s most talented collegiate golfers are likewise eyeing the top spot in the ladies’ division of this historic Tour co-developed by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation.
Among them is UP-1’s Addie Manhit, who has quietly assembled one of the most consistent campaigns this season, including a breakout victory at Caliraya Springs. She tees off at 7:30 a.m., paired with fellow contenders CSB-1’s Natasha Bantug, Ateneo-2’s Tatiana Ong, and La Salle-1’s Stacey Chua – each determined to play spoiler to the Lua-Tan headline act.
Lua and Tan are set for an early 7:20 a.m. tee-off alongside two rising stars: UP-1’s Katrisse Datoc and CSB-1’s Olivia Bermudo.
In the men’s division, another explosive matchup looms between La Salle-1’s Zachary Castro and CSB-1’s Sean Granada, both leg winners in their own right. Castro, who topped the Pradera Verde leg, squares off with Granada, the surprise victor in stormy conditions at Splendido Taal. They are joined in the 8:20 a.m. flight by Ateneo-1’s Schmuel Tan and La Salle-2’s Lucas Aldeguer in a high-stakes grouping expected to shape the leaderboard early.
Team honors are also up for grabs in both the men’s and women’s divisions, further elevating the intensity of the Finals.
While the Lua-Tan duel is a highlight in its own right, it also carries the added drama of an enduring institutional rivalry that has defined Philippine collegiate sports for decades. La Salle vs. Ateneo is synonymous with fever-pitch basketball games and packed arenas – but with golf emerging as a new battleground, that same competitive spirit is migrating to the greens.
Marking a long-overdue milestone in Philippine golf, the IIT signals a bold new era for the sport at the university level. For years, golf lagged behind other disciplines in terms of structure and developmental support. This Tour not only bridges that gap but also establishes a platform for young talents to thrive.
