Lee eyes 2nd straight LPGT Forest Hills win

Jiwon Lee is set to make a strong return after a two-month hiatus, bringing with her the momentum from a sensational win at the Splendido Taal Golf Club.

The Korean, just 16, will look to build on her recent success as she competes in the P1 million ICTSI Forest Hills Classic, which reels off Wednesday at the Nicklaus course of the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club in Antipolo.

Coming off a dominating win, where she bested a banner field in stormy conditions last July, Lee has cemented her reputation as a rising star on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (PGT).

Her Splendido triumph was no stroke of luck, as she continues her transition from the junior ranks into the pros with impressive strides.

Lee was already expected to headline the ICTSI Junior PGT Match Play at The Country Club after winning the first two legs of the series by an average of 16 strokes.

However, her successful foray into the professional circuit after winning the Lakewood Championship — as an amateur — in June where she defeated veteran Chihiro Ikeda in a playoff — prompted her team to push her directly into the pro ranks.

She hasn’t looked back since.

Though the Korean prodigy will have a target on her back, her time off has been focused on refining her game, and she’s eager to match or even exceed the form that led her to victory at Splendido.

Standing in her way will be a field full of talent, including Mikha Fortuna, who narrowly missed out on the Splendido crown, along with proven winners like Harmie Constantino, Mafy Singson, Florence Bisera and Sarah Ababa, along with Laurea Duque and Seoyun Kim.

Fortuna, a former Oklahoma University standout, will be hungry for redemption after her runner-up finish at Splendido.

As the defending champion of last year’s PGT Match Play Championship, where she outclassed Kim with a 5&4 victory in the finals, she’s looking to add another title to her impressive resume.

The 54-hole ICTSI Forest Hills Classic, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., marks the seventh leg of this year’s LPGT circuit and serves as the final stop in Luzon before the tour heads to the three-leg Visaya swing next month.

Following the season’s 10-leg series, the top 16 players will advance to the PGT Match Play Championship at The Country Club in Laguna.