Country Club offers tough test of golf

Spruced up to championship condition, The Country Club is expected to provide a true test of golf for the country’s top shotmakers when they clash for the top P1.1 million purse in The Country Club Invitational beginning tomorrow in Laguna.

To make sure the course will offer a different kind of challenge, organizers of the P3.85 million event, in consultation with course manager Robert Horan, converted the two par-5s on both nines into a couple of par-4s, making the Tom Weiskopf-designed layout a tougher one when it plays to a par-70 course. 

Though shorter in length, the layout, already daunting with the water hazards coming into play on all but two holes, is expected to be long in challenge with the pros’ chances for birdies taken away since par 5s are considered birdie holes on any given course.

The most difficult, based on last year’s scoring average, were the Nos. 4, a relatively short 407 yard-par 4 but with a sharp dogleg and tight landing area off the mound, and 18th, another par-4 whose  entire 434-yard length is well guarded by a water  hazard. The two holes played to an average of .7 strokes over par when Cassius Casas topped a stellar field, which included RP’s No. 1 Frankie Miñoza, to rule the inaugural staging of the event last year.

Meanwhile, an 18-hole pro-am event will be held today as a prelude to the keenly-awaited championship with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, Comelec chair Ben Abalos and Philippine Sports Commission chair Eric Buhain heading the distinguished list of invited guests.

Casas again looms as the man to watch in the four-day championship sponsored for the second straight year  by the Razon family in cooperation with The Country  Club. Aside from Casas, others seeing action are Asian Tour regulars  Danny Zarate, Mars Pucay and Carito Villaroman, last year’s joint runners-up Benjie Magada and Tony Lascuna.

The top 21 finishers in last year’s inaugurals have  been given automatic slots with the rest of the elite 40-player field tapped by the sponsors headed by Enrique Razon Jr., who put up the tournament last year to honor the memory of his father, Don Pocholo, an avid golfer like him.