Asian Tour bets vie in Sherwood

Danny Zarate, the best performing Filipino in the Asian Tour, and the rest of the big names campaigning abroad are back to join the challenge to Antonio Lascuna’s attempt for a back-to-back romp as the First Gentleman’s professional Golf Circuit resumes today at the challenging Sherwood Hills course in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

Zarate, who tied for 17th in last week’s Macau Open, gets his chance to play one of the few legs he can join the local circuit due to his tight schedule in the Asian Tour and will be the marked man among the 70 starters vying for the P100,000 champion’s pot.

Also entered are Rey Pagunsan, who had played in last week’s Japan Open like Frankie Minoza, as well as multi-titled big guns Rodrigo Cuello and Robert Pactolerin, who both missed the kick-off leg at the Sta. Elena course won by Lascuna to play in Macau.

After beating Marlon Dizon in a sudden-death playoff for the season opener, Lascuna returns to the same windswept course designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus where he won the Sherwood Hills Open leg of the Fil-Estate MRT Tour last year. Dizon had three-putted the playoff hole and missed the chance to become the first player in two decades to win his maiden pro stint.

For him to win again would be a mission doubly tougher for Lascuna who will not just be contending with the new crop of young pros including Cookie LaO, Randy Garalde and Solomon Gines but the real tough guys on tour.

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, whose foundation is the fund source of the circuit revival that has given back most of the local pros their livelihood, will again grace the opening ceremonials together with Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos, in his capacity as commissioner of the pro body, Fil-Estate Group of Companies chairman Bob Sobrepena, Ogie Manalo and Richie Garcia of the organizing Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc. and Col. Antonio Cabangon Chua of the executive committee.

Cassius Casas is himself a man on a mission as he tries to end a terrible slump that saw him miss the cut buy one at Sta. Elena. The many-time circuit champion has never been the same since his disastrous US Open showing and Sherwood Hills which is one of his regular practice courses hopefully will become the venue for resurrection or at least redemption.

The same goes with Ramon Brobio and Carito Villaroman, the two former world jungolf champions who have just gotten back from their unsuccessful attempts to break into the Buy.com Tour in the United States.

The only player missing in the list is Gerald Rosales who has decided to take the week off after playing in Macau.

The other seeded names are World Cup veteran Mars Pucay, Benjie Magada, Cesar Ababa, Ruben Sasutil, Elmer Salvador and Richard Sinfuego.