LIPA, Batangas – The opening round of the three-day ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour (IIT) Finals at Summit Point Golf and Country Club here has been cancelled due to heavy rains and unsafe playing conditions brought on by Typhoon Nando.
In a statement, the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. (PGTI) said the decision was made to protect the safety of players, tournament staff, and spectators and to preserve the integrity of the competition.
“To ensure everyone’s safety and the best possible playing conditions, the management has decided to reduce the tournament to 2 Rounds (36 holes).
The opening round is now set to fire off on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and conclude on Thursday.
Weather permitting, La Salle-1’s Julia Lua and Ateneo-2’s Shane Tan are poised to ignite one of Philippine sports’ most storied rivalries.
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.
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.
Also fancied are 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.
