Filipino golfer Justin Quiban. Pilipinas Golf Tour/Handout.
MANILA -- Toughened up by stints on the Asian Tour, Justin Quiban will pursue a third Philippine Golf Tour championship in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge that starts on Wednesday at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club.
Quiban headed to Iloilo from New Delhi, India, where he tied for 14th place in the DGC Open that was won by compatriot Miguel Tabuena last Sunday.
He and Tabuena crowded the leaders in the first two rounds of the Asian Tour event, but Quiban settled for a Top 15 finish after wavering with a 73 in the last round. Tabuena, for his part, bounced back in the final 18 holes and rallied from six strokes down to win the title with a solid 65.
Quiban is now expected to be among the top contenders in the P2.25-M event put up by ICTSI, with the top purse worth P405,000.
Also favored to contend is 22-year-old Ira Aldio, who won last week's ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Challenge in come-from-behind fashion after rallying from six shots down and is now seeking to sweep the Visayan leg of the circuit.
Others in the field include: Tony Lascuna, Zanieboy Gialon, Frankie Miñoza, Guido van der Valk, Rupert Zaragosa, Alvin Engino, Nilo Salahog and Jhonnel Ababa.