The invitational tournament, which offers a pot of $200,000, will showcase the Philippines’ best golfers against a tested international field, many of whom are just a degree shy of breaking into the US or European Golf Tours.
The pros will be paired with some of the country’s top amateurs as well as a host of corporate bigwigs whose support is being wooed by organizers to provide moral and financial assistance to the development of the game here.
"This is no ordinary golf tournament," said Bob Sobrepeña, chair of tournament host Manila Southwoods. "Besides providing local golf enthusiasts an opportunity to see some of the rising stars of golf, the event hopes to inspire our young golfers to see their future as top players of the game."
It is for this reason, according to Sobrepeña, that the Invitational Cup will be an annual affair starting this year and hopefully for the next 20 years or so.
"That’s how much we are investing in this event," said the Southwoods chair who plans to also host the Casino Filipino Open sometime in March as a fitting follow-up to this international tournament.
What makes the Invitational Cup doubly exciting is the format.
In consultation with the organizing Asian PGA Tour, the Invitational Cup’s pro-am format brings a new dimension to the Asian Tour which in its five years of existence never had a tournament of this nature.
But the organizers are the first to admit that it is not unique. The event is patterned with the hugely popular and successful Pebble Beach pro-am in the US PGA Tour which annually attracts some of the leading corporate giants of America as well as celebrity golfers such as sports and movie stars.
"We will work towards this end," said Sobrepeña who wants to make the Invitational Cup the traditional kickoff leg of the Davidoff Tour for years to come.
In the current format, each pro will be assigned two amateurs who play 36 holes each using official club handicaps.
Besides individual pro and team events, there will also be a separate competition for amateurs also using their board handicaps.
There will be not cuts for both pros and amateurs although the pros will play for 72 holes, the amateurs only 36.
At the minimum, 10 Filipinos are competing. But the figure is expected to rise as there would be some no-shows among the invitees.
Among locals assured of slots are Cassius Casass, Gerald Rosales, Danny Zarate and Rodrigo Cuello.
Frankie Minoza, priming up for his annual Japan PGA Tour campaign, will be one of several sponsors’ invitees. The rest will be announced later.
Heading the foreign cast will be Simon Dyson who topped last year’s Order of Meerit with winnings of $282,371.