Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena take a break from their hectic campaign abroad and Jobim Carlos returns from a layoff as the troika joins a streaking Juvic Pagunsan in what promises to be a shootout with a slew of foreign aces in the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship firing off tomorrow (Tuesday, July 9) at the Legends course in Carmona, Cavite.
The $100,000 event serving as the third leg of PGT Asia put up by ICTSI marks a rare gathering of the Filipino talents all primed up for four days of battle of shotmaking, iron play and putting against a strong foreign contingent out to keep its early control of the region’s emerging circuit.
Que arrives today from his Japan PGA Tour campaign, Tabuena plays in his first local tournament this year after an injury and a couple of events in Europe recently, and Carlos, the reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion, is back, also from an injury, and ready to recall his form.
Still, focus will be on Pagunsan, who swept the last three legs of the four-stage Visayan swing of the PGT last month, making him the marked player in the 72 hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Reigning Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla is also in the fold, four-time PGT Asia leg winner Jhonnel Ababa hopes to sneak into the title race and extend his run of luck in the circuit and Jay Bayron is upbeat of scoring a repeat here after edging American John Michael O’Toole by one on a 26-under total last year.
The elite field, however, may find it a bit tougher to match that total output with the bunker-laden layout now set as a par-71 and which could play a little longer in soft conditions.
Still, a fiery duel is up right on the first shot with Namchok Tantipokhakul and Wisut Artjanawat hoping to stretch Thailand’s hot start in the circuit after the former topped this year’s PGTA kickoff leg at Luisita last April and the latter snared the Taiwan PGA Open crown last May, the first PGT Asia co-sanctioned event abroad.
But they are just two of the foreign bets, who make half of the 121-player field, who are itching to slug it out with the local shotmakers with others coming from Singapore, Laos, England, Korea, Japan, Australia, Syria, Malaysia, Colombia, India, Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, Finland, Macedonia, South Africa, the Netherlands and the US.
Meanwhile, a select roster of pros test the course one last time in today’s (Monday) pro-am where they will be paired with guests and officials of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High.
Others fancied to get into the early mix are former The Country Club Invitational champion Micah Shin of the US and former PGTA leg winners David Gleeson of Australia along with the power-hitting Tim Stewart, also from Down Under, two-time PGT leg titlist and Manila-based Dutch Guido Van der Valk, Spain’s Marcos Pastor, comebacking Brett Munson of the US and Singapore’s Koh Deng Shan and Gregory Foo.