Rey Pagunsan hopes to draw some spark from his recent triumph in the National pro-am as he slugs it out with the leading players on the Philippine Golf Tour and a slew of foreign invitees in the ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational unfolding Wednesday at Club Filipino de Cebu golf course in Danao City.
The veteran Pagunsan ended a long title spell, but in team play, when he partnered up with top amateur Aidric Chan to rule the Delimondo National pro-am at Taal Splendido last month with the former national team standout expecting a tougher challenge in individual play in the upcoming 72-hole championship kicking off the four-leg Visayan swing of the milestone 10th season of the country’s premier circuit put up by ICTSI.
“It’s a tough task given the depth of the field. But my ball striking has been pretty good and I gained a lot of confidence from my recent win. I just hope to get off to a strong start and let’s see what happens,” said Pagunsan.
Jhonnel Ababa, who emerged on top in last year’s rain-shortened CFdC inaugurals, headlines the crack roster that includes Dutch Guido Van der Valk, Jerson Balasabas, Michael Bibat, James Ryan Lam, Justin Quiban, Joenard Rates, Elmer Salvador, Ferdie Aunzo, Rufino Bayron, Marvin Dumandan and Albin Engino.
Jay Bayron, who tied for 27th in the recent Taiwan Open, the first PGT Asia event abroad, is also in the fold along with multi-titled Tony Lascuña, who is seeking to snap out of a long slump due to poor form and hand injury.
Five invitees are also expected to make an impact in the event, including former PGT Asia leg winner David Gleeson of Australia, Mateo Gomez and Sebastian Lopez of Colombia, Englishman George Twyman and Jack Sullivan, another talented shotmaker from Down Under.
Other foreign aces vying in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc. are Aussies Fidel Concepcion, Japanese Ryui Hashimoto, Kei Matsuoka and Makoto Iwasaki, Koreans Kim Young Hyun, Park Jun Sung and Hwang Myung Chal, Swedes Andreas Johansson and Oscar Karlsson, Lexus Keoninh and Charles Lee of the US, Argentine Emilio Parodi, Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia and Thai Pachara Sakulyong.
From Cebu, the circuit moves to Bacolod Country Club on June 12-15, then to Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club on June 19-23, then to Iloilo Golf and Country Club on June 26-29.