David Gleeson hopes to cash in on his good form and challenge for another crown on the second Philippine Golf Tour Asia, which holds its second leg at Riviera’s Langer layout beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, May 30).
Gleeson snapped a seven-year title drought with a victory in the PGT Asia’s kickoff leg at Luisita last month, outlasting local bet Erwin Arcillas on the third playoff hole. But the veteran Aussie campaigner will be facing a tougher cast of rivals in the $100,000 ICTSI Riviera Classic, including the local top guns and a slew of aces from Thailand, Korea, the US, England, New Zealand and Japan.
That should make the 72-hole championship worth watching with the battle for the $17,500 purse tipped to go the way it was at Luisita.
The local bets, for one, are out to redeem themselves from that failed bid at Luisita where a heralded player in Arcillas needed to step up and provide the challenge against Gleeson. Multi-titled Tony Lascuña was the next best Filipino finisher at joint fifth with another Aussie Tim Stewart.
“This is going to be tough. The field is strong with 68 foreigners out to challenge us again,” said Lascuña, who with newly crowned Masters champion Jerson Balasabas and surging Jobim Carlos will be at the forefront of the locals’ charge in the blue-ribbon event sponsored by ICTSI.
Balasabas’ playoff victory over Dutch Guido Van der Valk in last week’s Masters at Villamor should bolster his confidence this week although the same could not be said of defending champion Clyde Mondilla, who continued to grope for form after five tournaments in the young season.
His forgettable 41st place finish at Masters typified the reigning PGT Order of Merit champion’s struggle although the young Del Monte ace is expected to rebound strong and figure in another crack at the championship in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Other locals tipped to contend are veteran Jay Bayron and Jhonnel Ababa, who won the PGTA legs at Riviera and Pradera Verde last January but whose game took a dip the last two tournaments, including a joint 13th place effort at Villamor.
But Gleeson is all primed up for another title shot, stressing the need to stay focused, play smart and grab every opportunity.
He, however, will be tackling not just a tough, hazard-laden course and a fired-up local crew but also a crack foreign cast, headed by Thais Wisut Artjanawat, Pasavee Lertvilai, Poosit Supupramai, Nirun Sae-Ueng and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij, Aussies Tim Stewart, Andrew Campbell, Clayton Bridges and DJ Loypur, and Americans Lexus Keoninh, John Michael O’Toole, Cory Oride, Josh Salah and Brett Munson.
Young Korean-American Micah Shin also hopes to sustain his strong finish at Villamor that netted him a joint fifth place effort with Joenard Rates, making this week’s championship, backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc., truly an event to watch.
Manila Southwoods, meanwhile, will host the third stop of the second PGT Asia on June 5-8 with the next leg set at Forest Hills on July 11-14 then at the Orchard in Cavite for the Aboitiz Invitational on Sept. 5-8.