DANAO City, Cebu – Jobim Carlos sets out for another championship this week, armed with a solid game and a confidence reinforced not only by two victories but also by a couple of runner-up finishes in the last six tournaments of the Philippine Golf Tour.

That makes the Order of Merit frontrunner the prohibitive favorite in the P3.5 million ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational firing off today (Wednesday, Aug. 29) at the short but challenging par-71 CFdC layout which is hosting a tournament of this magnitude for the first time.

While the hottest player on the tour expressed confidence of chances for another victory, he hints at a wild finish given the makeup of the mountain-top course, including its narrow fairways, dogleg and blind holes and unpredictable putting surface.

“I like my chances to go back-to-back,” said Carlos, who edged Aussie Tim Stewart by two to rule the Iloilo Golf Challenge last week. “But I have to be very careful off the tee and maybe I’ll be using my driver here just four times and relying more on my irons. The course is tough with too many blind holes and tricky greens.”

For the veterans in the fold, stamina will also play a key role in the title hunt in the 72-hole championship serving as the penultimate stop of the 10-leg PGT sponsored by ICTSI.

“The course is good but it will be tough for us to go up-and-down on some holes,” said Tony Lascuña, 47, who led his team composed of amateurs Kenneth Dyguani and Boboy Arevalo to yesterday’s pro-am victory with a 15-under 56. “But let’s see what happens.”

Reigning Phl Masters champion Jerson Balasabas, with David Jarman, Paolo Alberto and Ted Almario, placed second in the pro-am with a 57 while Carlos, along with Edgar Aliño, Calvin Gothong and Edwin Robin, scored a 58 for third.

The 25-year-old Carlos, whose game went on an upswing after nailing his first win at PGT Asia at Riviera last June, is expected to make things happen right in the opening round as he slugs it out with Elmer Salvador and Nilo Salahog in the 7:30 a.m. flight on the first hole.

Lascuña, seeking an end to a year-long title spell, kicks off his drive at 8:30 a.m., also on No. 1, in the company of James Ryan Lam and former PGTA leg winner Rene Menor.

Sixty-nine others brace for a challenging start in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., including a number of foreign aces led by Stewart and Iloilo leg joint third placers American Lexus Keoninh and Dutch Guido Van der Valk.

Stewart starts at 8:40 a.m. on No. 10 with Jelbert Gamolo and Jeffrey Pito-on, Keoninh clashes with PGTA Southwoods leg champion Jay Bayron and Albin Engino, while Van der Valk, winner of the PGT kickoff leg at Eagle Ridge, plays Joenard Rates and Reymon Jaraula at 8:20 p.m. on No. 1.

Focus will also be on young Korean Kim Joo Hyung, who upended Carlos at Pueblo de Oro to become the youngest winner on the circuit. The 16-year-old former amateur hotshot is also out to atone for his mediocre finish in Iloilo as he hacks it out with two of the fancied players in the fold – PGTA Forest Hills winner Jhonnel Ababa and reigning OOM champion Clyde Mondilla – at 8:20 a.m. on No. 10.

Others tipped to contend for the top P650,000 purse in the event, backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc., are PGT Bacolod leg winner Justin Quiban, Ferdie Aunzo, Marvin Dumandan, Mars Pucay, Zanieboy Gialon, Ira Alido and foreign bets Damien Jordan and Casey Vincent of Australia, Koreans Lee Hyun Jun and Park Jun Sung, and Japanese Hiroyuki Ono.