While many of the game’s top pros head into the new season fine-tuning swings, adjusting iron play or recalibrating their putting strokes, Keanu Jahns is choosing a different path.
For the Fil-German ace, the priority is not mechanical change but mental reinforcement – sharpening what has already proven to be his greatest weapon.
And judging by the way he closed out last season, it’s hard to argue with the approach.
Coming off a three-win campaign, capped by a dominant victory in the season-ending Match Play Championship, Jahns heads into The Country Club Invitational brimming with confidence as the 72-hole championship gets under way tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 27) at the exacting TCC layout.
“Mentally, I’m not really trying to do anything different,” said Jahns. “Staying present and being committed on the course has been working for me, so I’ll be sticking to that.”
That steady, process-driven mindset has fueled a late-season surge that few in the elite cast could match. Blessed with length off the tee, precise iron play and a reliable putting stroke, Jahns enters the ₱6.5-million championship carrying both form and familiarity – a rare and dangerous combination.
Meanwhile, Jahns and the 29 other pros gear up for the main event in today’s (Monday) traditional pro-am tournament, where they will be paired with guest amateurs of the sponsoring ICTSI.
Beyond the competitive warm-up, the 18-hole tournament offers the players a valuable opportunity to further familiarize themselves with the course layout – testing club selections, reading greens under tournament-like conditions, and fine-tuning strategies ahead of the crucial rounds.
But perhaps the most motivated heading into the event is Jahns, whose psychological edge is undeniable. Just last November, he dominated the same TCC layout, overpowering Guido van der Valk in the final to capture the Match Play crown. That triumph further cemented his reputation as a player equally comfortable in stroke play and in high-pressure, head-to-head battles.
Before his Match Play triumph, Jahns had already showcased his dominance in traditional formats, stringing together back-to-back stroke play victories at Caliraya Springs and Bacolod. The ability to win across formats has elevated him into the inner circle of contenders as the championship, staged in honor of ICTSI founder Don Pocholo Razon, approaches.
Despite finishing second in last season’s Order of Merit, narrowly behind three-time TCC Invitational champion Angelo Que, Jahns views the new season as a fresh opportunity – and perhaps no better stage exists than TCC to launch a serious title run.
“My goal this year is to have a good finish in the OOM Top 3,” he said. “But with the way I’ve been playing, winning the OOM would be nice.”
Still, Jahns is quick to point out that his focus remains internal rather than outcome-driven.
“It’s not all about producing good, solid results,” he said. “With the way I played last year, I’m very confident in my game, but to play my best golf, I can’t be too oriented on results. If I take it one shot at a time and maintain a solid mindset, the results will follow.”
That philosophy will be put to the test in what promises to be a mental grind at TCC.
With former champions, including Miguel Tabuena, van der Valk, Tony Lascuña, Frankie Miñoza and Micah Shin, in the field and the Top 30 finishers from last year’s Order of Merit, the TCC Invitational is expected to unfold in classic fashion – where leads are fragile and outcomes often decided by a final putt.
But Jahns’ blend of momentum, course comfort and mental clarity could prove decisive. If his late-season surge carries over, the stage may finally be set for the rising star to capture his first TCC Invitational crown – and signal the start of an even bigger year.
