
CHANELLE Avaricio braces for a new challenge when the LPGT moves to Pampanga for the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship starting Tuesday.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of LPGT
Fresh off a stirring comeback victory in the mountains of Baguio, Chanelle Avaricio now faces an entirely different challenge as the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour shifts to the plains of Pampanga for the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship beginning Tuesday in Lubao.
Gone are the tight fairways, uneven lies and demanding elevation changes of Pinewoods Golf Club.
In their place is the sprawling, relatively flat Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club — a layout that appears forgiving off the tee but presents its own brand of complexity, requiring a blend of power, precision, creativity and patience to conquer.
For Avaricio, the transition will demand more than simply carrying over the confidence from last week’s triumph. It will require a recalibration of strategy as she pursues a second straight victory in the fourth leg of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
Avaricio displayed remarkable grit and championship composure to fend off Harmie Constantino and Tiffany Lee, storming back with a blistering front-nine rally before surviving a tense, pressure-packed finish to prevail by one stroke.
The victory once again highlighted Avaricio’s ability to respond after setbacks. Following a heartbreaking playoff loss to Sarah Ababa at Del Monte earlier this season, she bounced back emphatically with a dominant seven-shot victory at Apo Golf before adding another title through sheer resilience and poise at Pinewoods.
This week, however, the challenge changes dramatically.
Designed by Mike Singgaran, Pradera Verde rewards aggressive play more than conservative course management. Its wide fairways invite players to attack, but positioning remains critical to setting up makeable birdie opportunities. The expansive layout encourages longer hitters to be bold, yet its slick, subtly contoured greens place a premium on distance control, precision iron play and confident putting.
Should the expected breeze begin to swirl across the exposed fairways, club selection and trajectory control could become decisive factors. What appears to be a straightforward birdie course can quickly turn into a stern mental examination, with even slight miscalculations magnified by gusting winds and fast, unpredictable putting surfaces.