Lloyd Go finally marks his pro debut on the Philippine Golf Tour, upbeat but wary of his chances against a slew of veteran local and foreign campaigners in the ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational beginning Wednesday (June 5) at Club Filipino de Cebu golf course in Danao City.
The former national champion actually dominated and topped the 72-hole PGT Qualifying School at Taal Splendido in 2018 but deferred moving to the pro ranks to help power Team Asia-Pacific past Team Europe in the Bonnalack Trophy in Doha, Qatar, thus forfeiting his PGT playing rights.
But the Cebuano star, who also gained an Asian Tour card last December and finished tied for 52nd in Bangabandhu Cup in Bangladesh last April, is seeing action this week as one of the six invitees, joining the likes 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.
They will be up against a stellar international cast, led by defending champion Jhonnel Ababa, multi-titled Tony Lascuña and Jay Bayron, former Masters titlist Jerson Balasabas, PGT Asia leg champions James Ryan Lam, Justin Quiban, Joenard Rates and Rene Menor, along with PGT winners Guido Van der Valk of the Netherlands, Zanieboy Gialon, Charles Hong and Mars Pucay along with recent National pro-am champion Rey Pagunsan.
A slew of foreign aces are also in the fold, all aiming for a top finish in the 72-hole championship at the tight, up-and-down layout, including Americans Lexus Keoninh, Charles Lee, Pete Vilairatana and Sean Talmadge, Aussies Fidel Concepcion and Calum Junifer, Koreans Hyang Myung Chal, Kim Young Hyun, Park Jun Sung, and Japanese Ryui Hashimoto, Makoto Iwasaki, Yudai Suzuki, Kei Matsuoka, Kanata Nakagawa, Ryo Nishimura and Raiki Okamoto.
Others tipped to contend for top honors in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. are Emilio Parodi of Argentina, PGT Q-School topnotcher Marcos Pastor of Spain, Thai Pachara Sakulyong, Peter Stojanvoski of Macedonia,
The event, backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc. also serves as the kickoff leg of the four-stage Visayan swing with action shifting 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.