Asian Tour lauds transfer of RP Open

The Asian Tour, the new association of players who took over Asian golf, yesterday lauded the organizers of the 88th DHL-Philippine Open for designating Riviera as the new venue of the fabled event in place of Mimosa in Clark Field, Pampanga.

"The leadership of the new Asian Tour fully supports the decision of the NGAP (National Golf Association of the Philippines)," said Asian Tour director Patrick Young, referring to the selection of Riviera’s Langer layout as the new venue of the country’s premier golf championship slated Feb. 26-29.

Young said the Asian Tour has in effect replaced the Asian PGA Tour and has lined up a total of 19 events for the year with four still under negotiations. The $150,000 DHL-Philippine Open, presented by San Miguel Corp., will serve as the fifth leg of the Asian Tour.

The new group, headed by Hong Kong-based pro Kyi Hla Han, has promised more tournaments, more rewards for players and more development of the sport in Asia. It kicked off its maiden season with the Thailand Open last month followed by the Johnnie Walker Classic two weeks ago.

The ongoing Myanmar Open is the Asian Tour’s third offering with next week’s Malaysian Open serving as the fourth stage before the keenly-awaited DHL-Philippine Open.

Saying they couldn’t comply with NGAP’s stringent requirements to stage the big event due to their limited resources, officials of the Clark Development Corp., which runs the Mimosa golf complex, backed out from hosting the championship which will feature not only the top players in the land but also the brightest golfers in the region.

But even before the CDC could decide on its withdrawal, the organizing NGAP, after a series of inspections and suggestions that virtually fell on deaf ears, has since declared Mimosa is unfit to host an event of such magnitude.

"It will be interesting to watch the best of Asia play on a very demanding course as Riviera," added Young, noting that the chase for top honors will be a wild, wooly affair especially if the winds come into play.

For sure, the winds will be one of the factors but the challenge would also come from the course’s daunting ravines, tight fairways and undulating greens that are expected to test the pros’ mental toughness, accuracy and putting prowess.

Defending champion Rick Gibson of Canada heads the crack list of foreign bets while former RP Open champions Frankie Minoza, Cassius Casas and Gerald Rosales banner the talented local field in the four-day championship backed by Mitsubishi Motors.

The par-71 Langer layout is actually hosting the Open for the second time in four years after Rosales won an all-peso tournament in 2000. Minoza, meanwhile, snapped a long RP Open title drought with a victory in 1998 at Riviera’s adjacent Couples course.