Elmer Salvador returns to the scene of his breakthrough win in the revival of the local golf circuit as he heads a crack field vying for top honors in the P1 million Philippine Golf Tour-ICTSI Sherwood Hills Golf Classic firing off March 17 at the Sherwood Golf and Country Club in Trece Martires, Cavite.

Salvador, the hottest player on tour today with a Philippine Open victory and a win in last month’s ICTSI Classic, reigned at the challenging Sherwood layout last year, beating Benjie Magada by five strokes in a triumph that sparked the soft-spoken Davaoeno shotmaker’s surge in the local golf circuit.

He also ruled the ICTSI Valley leg later in the year to become the tour’s first two-leg winner and went on to capture the Order of Merit crown before capping his banner year with a victory in the RP Open at Mt. Malarayat.

After a joint 10th place finish in The Country Club Invitational, the kickoff leg of this year’s 12-leg circuit, the 41-year-old Salvador buckled down to work and ruled again at Mt. Malarayat, outlasting Jay Bayron to capture the ICTSI Classic title last month.

“Medyo sinu-swerte lang. Mataas din ang kumpiyansa ko ngayon sa bago kong swing,” said Salvador.

The challengers will be headed by the country’s premier shotmakers, who will all be in the 54-hole tournament following a break on the Asian Tour calendar, including Angelo Que, Juvic Pagunsan, Tony Lascuna, Artemio Murakami, and Mars Pucay.