MANILA, Philippines — Having snapped a two-year title drought, Jhonnel Ababa hopes to ride the momentum and growing confidence from his victory last week as he shoots for back-to-back championships in the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship, which blasts off on Oct. 12 in Cagayan de Oro City. Ababa overcame a nerve-wracking, see-saw battle in Iloilo last week, coming from behind with clutch birdies on the final two holes to force a tie with Jeffren Lumbo and then claim his 14th Philippine Golf Tour victory. The triumph was as emotional as it was unexpected. Unlike his previous victory at Apo Golf in 2024, when he prevailed in a sudden-death playoff over Guido van der Valk before a home crowd, Ababa said his Iloilo triumph felt like a blessing that came when he least expected it. He had trailed Lumbo by three heading into the final stretch. With the odds seemingly stacked against him, Ababa could only credit his faith for turning the tide. “God simply gave me this victory. I honestly didn’t expect to win because Jeffren had such a big lead. But God made it possible,” said Ababa in Filipino, who dedicated the victory to his family, including his late wife, Mailyn, and their sons, John Michael and Samuel. Ababa will now be hard-pressed to make it two in a row, with a slew of seasoned campaigners and hungry contenders also determined to shine in the eighth stop of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Among them is Reymon Jaraula, the last player to win at the Pueblo de Oro layout when it hosted a PGT event in 2019. Jaraula edged Tony Lascuña in a dramatic playoff that year and returns to the venue after a strong third-place finish in Iloilo with the Del Monte ace looming as one of the players to watch in the P2.5-million championship. Lascuña, meanwhile, will try to bounce back from a 10th-place finish in Iloilo. He headlines a formidable cast that also includes Zaragosa, Lumbo, van der Valk, Russell Bautista and Angelo Que. The reigning Order of Merit champion, Que likewise hopes to regain top form after a hectic stretch of campaigns at home and abroad. He is chasing a third victory of the season after topping the Caliraya Springs and Summit Point legs. But the Pueblo de Oro field is deep, with recent Negros Occidental leg winner Art Arbole, Russell Bautista joined by Elee Bisera, Francis Morilla,Jay Bayron and Ira Alido, as well as Korean bets Kim Tae Soo, Chon Koo Kang and Lee Song. Also in the mix are US-based Jeremy Tandoy and Ivan Yabut, along with a number of other foreign challengers, setting the stage for another fiercely contested week on the PGT. TMT