Uy plots triumphant ICTSI Bacolod return

BACOLOD CITY — There couldn’t have been a more fitting stage or more compelling moment for Daniella Uy to rekindle her fierce rivalry with the country’s top pros — and a couple of rising Korean stars — than at the very tournament where she last etched her name in bold.

The ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge fires off on Tuesday at the tight, hazard-laden Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia here and Uy returns not just as defending champion, but as a marked player — eager, hungry and laser-focused on reclaiming her place atop the leaderboard after a lengthy stint abroad.

Taking a break from her LPGA of Taiwan campaign, Uy is back on home soil, bringing with her a game sharpened by high-level competition and months of battling some of Asia’s top-tier talents. Though she has yet to bag a title overseas, the experience has made her mentally tougher and more tactically sound.

And there’s no better place for a statement win than Bacolod, a venue that holds special significance for the former Junior World champion. It was here last year where she fended off a fierce charge by Chanelle Avaricio in a gripping final stretch to clinch a two-stroke victory — her fifth career title and a springboard to her international pursuits.

But Uy knows full well that her return will be no walk in the park.

The par-70 layout in Binitin is short but tricky, demanding precision over power and rewarding sound course management more than aggression. And the field she’s up against is deep, dangerous and just as driven.