Rich 10-leg golf circuit on in March

A rich 10-leg local golf tour will be held beginning March, virtually taking over the Philip Morris series which was long regarded the national golf circuit until it was scrapped last year.

Manila Southwoods chairman Bob Sobrepeña said each leg of the series, to be sanctioned by the Asian PGA Tour, will offer P1 million in total purse and spread over four months over the various championship courses in the country.

"Starting March, we will unveil the new local golf circuit to be sanctioned by the Asian PGA Tour and partly financed by the proceeds of the President’s Invitational Pro-Am Cup," said Sobrepeña.

The President’s Invitational Pro-Am Cup, slated Jan. 25-28 at the Southwoods’ Masters Course, will formally kick off the new series which is expected to boost local pro golf once again after Philip Morris withdrew its sponsorship of the circuit following the worldwide clamor to ban tobacco advertising.

"The President’s Invitational Pro-Am Cup will only be the start of our big involvement with golf starting this year," added Sobrepeña. "The number of tournaments could increase depending on the support of other golf clubs."

Under the plan envisioned by Sobrepeña, participating golf clubs will be asked to shoulder half of the purse – P500,000 – with the other half provided by them.

"But since we are just starting, we’re expected to shoulder the whole amount," he said.

The President’s Invitational Pro-Am Cup is the first of such format in the Asian PGA Tour. In fact, it is one of only two pro-am events which count in the world rankings, the first being the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Under the unique format, each pro will be assigned two amateurs who will play 36 holes each using their respective handicaps. Aside from the individual pro and tour events, there will also be a separate competition for amateurs using their full handicaps.

Unlike typical legs, there will be no cuts for the pros.

At least 10 Filipinos, including automatic invitees Cassius Casas, Gerald Rosales, Danny Zarate and Rodrigo Cuello, are taking par.t

Frankie Miñoza, priming up for his Japanese Tour campaign, will be one of six sponsors’ invitees. Robert Pactolerin and Mars Pucay are also expected to be given sponsors’ exemptions.

Simon Dyson of England, who topped the Order of Merit last year with $282,371.29, is expected to see action alongside No. 2 Jyoti Randhawa of India and Yeh Wei-Tze of Taiwan.

The President’s Invitational Pro-Am Cup is one of two international events to be hosted by Manila Southwoods. The second Casino Filipino Open is scheduled March 1-4 to be tentatively held at the Masters course.