The pursuit of bragging rights as the first-ever ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour (ITT) champion culminates in three days of high-stakes action beginning Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.
More than just a final leg, this event is a historic milestone – ushering in a new era of organized collegiate golf in the country. It serves as a proving ground not only for individual brilliance but also for team unity and competitive maturity among the country’s most promising student-athletes.
Launched in June and co-developed by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation, the IIT was created with a bold vision: to elevate golf as a legitimate varsity sport, on par with basketball, volleyball and athletics in the collegiate scene.
Meanwhile, eight of the country’s leading collegiate women golfers will vie for supremacy in the ladies’ division.
In the team competition, seven schools in both divisions will clash under a three-to-play format, emphasizing not just individual skill but also team chemistry and strategic depth.
Among the standouts in the men’s individual competition are Sean Granada of College of St. Benilde-1, who won at Splendido Taal, and Zachary Castro of La Salle-1, the Pradera Verde leg champion.
They will be challenged by a formidable field including Rans Balay-odao (University of the Cordilleras), Emilio Carpio (UP-1), Emilio Curran (Ateneo-1), and others from La Salle, Ateneo, UP and CSB.
On the women’s side, a three-way battle is expected among leg winners Julia Lua (La Salle-1), Addie Manhit (UP-1), and Shane Tan (Ateneo-2). But with equally capable challengers such as Katrisse Datoc (UP-1), Natasha Bantug (CSB-1), Stacey Chan (La Salle-1), and Tatiana Ong (Ateneo-2), fans can expect a tight and thrilling race to the finish.
A championship of this caliber deserves a course that demands precision, patience and power and Summit Point delivers exactly that. With its challenging layout and championship-caliber greens, it offers the perfect setting for a finale that promises drama from the first tee to the final putt.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the par-72 course has replicated 18 renowned golf holes in the world, including holes from St. Andrews, Augusta National and Pebble Beach.
