Uy, Fortuna serve as acid test for young Castil ICTSI Mimosa golf tilt

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE – Two-leg winner Daniella Uy and Mikha Fortuna expect to put Velinda Castil through a severe test right in Tuesday’s start of the ICTSI Mimosa Plus Championship at the Mimosa Plus’ Acacia course in Pampanga here.

The three are paired in the 9 a.m. group on No. 1 with Uy, who scored back-to-back victories at Forest Hills and Del Monte, itching to launch another drive for a championship after her three-peat bid fell short at South Pacific Classic last week.

But her runner-up finish in Davao easily makes her the marked player in the 54-hole championship serving as the final leg of this year's 10-stage Ladies Philippine Golf Tour with the former Junior World champion hinting at banking on her power again in chase of another diadem.

“Most likely, I’ll rely on my drives to get more chances for birdies kasi Mimosa is wider than South Pacific,” said Uy, who used her length to spike her recent twin victories that ended a streak of stretch-run meltdowns.

Fortuna is also out to rebound from a final round struggle at South Pacific that saw her limp with a 76 and drop to third after joining eventual winner Florence Bisera at the helm after 36 holes.

Uy is also using the event as part of her buildup for her stint in Stage II of the Japan Qualifying next month.
"If I win again, it will be a big confidence-booster for my Japan qualifying bid," she said.
Meanwhile, Uy and Fortuna’s experience is also likely to bear upon Castil’s game as the 15-year-old shotmaker vowed to bounce back from a missed cut stint in her first crack at the pros in South Pacific.

Following an impressive joint runner-up effort in Del Monte, Castil, from Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, decided to join the pros but cracked under pressure and missed the