Jahns eyes hat-trick at tricky Marapara

BACOLOD CITY — Stop Keanu Jahns.

That’s the rallying cry of 68 other pros as the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic blasts off today at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club here. With back-to-back four-shot victories in the Philippine Golf Tour, the Filipino-German has gone beyond simply making an impression — he has established a reign of dominance.

And with his game peaking at just the right time, the rest of the field may once again find themselves scrambling for runner-up finish.

Yet, while Jahns has looked nearly invincible, the tour now arrives on a course that may just prove to be the ultimate test. Known more widely as Marapara, the par-70 layout is equal parts charming and treacherous. It offers a masterclass in deception, with tight doglegs and greens tucked behind natural defenses that demand meticulous course management.

It’s a layout that won’t simply reward brute force — it punishes it. And that’s where the narrative could shift.

But Jahns is riding high on confidence.

“With the way I’m playing, I’m very confident with my game,” Jahns said.

But even the 29-year-old knows the dangers of overconfidence on a track like Marapara.

“I hope I could do it again,” he added with a cautious tone, acknowledging the unpredictability the course — and the competition — could bring.

And the challengers are aplenty.

Angelo Que isn’t just playing for pride. He’s out to reassert his standing after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Jahns. Fidel Concepcion, Tony Lascuña and Dutchman Guido van der Valk — each with a proven ability to score and grind — are likewise coming into the event brimming with confidence.

Koreans Tae Won Ha and Tae Soo Kim bring consistency and international experience, while rising Filipino stars like Aidric Chan, Russell Bautista, Carl Corpus and John Michael Uy are eager to announce their arrival by taking down the Tour’s new star.

Then there’s Justin Quiban, who brings with him battle scars from the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour. Though briefly returning to local soil, his overseas experience could prove vital if conditions toughen up, especially if Marapara’s notoriously unpredictable winds come into play.

Still, to beat Jahns right now may require more than skill — it may require a perfect storm.

Observers are hoping for that storm to roll in, if only to restore a bit of drama to the PGT circuit, which Jahns has made dangerously one-dimensional. His dominance threatens to drain the Tour of its traditional unpredictability, especially after his resounding wins.