A mix of aces, including a comebacking former Order of Merit champion and former leg winners, makes up one of the strongest casts ever to vie in the Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School, which begins Tuesday at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay City.
Multi-titled Elmer Salvador, back in the hunt after a long absence on the tour where he reigned as OOM champ in its inaugural staging in 2009, heads the 86 other bidders chasing the 35 slots to this year’s Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit, which kicks off its busy season in Bacolod next month.
This marks the return of the PGT Q-School after it was suspended over growing concerns related to Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. The PGT held two tournaments at Riviera under the bubble setup late in the year and staged one in 2021 before holding a seven-leg circuit last year.
With everything else back in normal, the country’s premier tour put up by ICTSI is all set for another banner season with the Negros Occidental Classic set on March 15-18 to be followed by the Iloilo Golf Challenge on March 22-25 and the second ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship on April 18-21 in Cavinti, Laguna.
The 2023 PGT season actually kicked off last week with its flagship championship, the Don Pocholo Razon Memorial Cup, with Dutch Guido van der Valk keeping the crown via a five-shot victory over Asian Tour-bound Lloyd Go.
That makes this year’s Q-School worth watching and interesting with Rene Menor, a surprised PGT Asia winner, also at Splendido, in 2017 likewise all geared up to regain his card along with many-time Philippine Masters champion and PGT leg winner Robert Pactolerin and former amateur standouts Ferdie Aunzo, Mhark Fernando and Rufino Bayron, still in search for a follow-up to his breakthrough pro victory at ICTSI Orchard Championship in 2014.
Japanese Toru Nakajima, who edged Jay Bayron in sudden death at Wack Wack in 2013 to become the first foreign PGT winner, is also in the field, along with Korean Lee Song and Gen Nagai, the Cebu-based Japanese who won the Philippine Junior championship in 2014.
Sixty-five locals and 22 foreign bets are slugging it out for the coveted PGT cards in the 72-hole elims at the rolling, wind-raked Splendido Taal layout with the top 50 and ties after 36 holes advancing to the final two rounds. The top 35 will then be included in Category 6 while the next 35 will earn Category 7 status of the 2023 PGT starting fields.
Others tipped to contend for PGT cards are Rey Pagunsan, Ramil Bisera, Johnel Bulawit, Danilo delos Santos, Omar Dungca, Nico Evangelista, Rolando Marabe, Jr., Paul Miñoza, Miko Pactolerin, Elmer Saban, Nilo Salahog, Peter Villaber and Brent Sumampong.