Official hopeful RP Open will push thru

With still two weeks left and "only" $200,000 needed, there remains a strong possibility that the Philippine Open golf championship would be held as scheduled at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club Jan. 11-14.

And the solution to the problem, an official of the National Golf Association of the Philippines said yesterday, could be in the hands of Wack Wack president and Commission on Elections chairman Ben Abalos.

Abalos is currently out of the country and may just cut his trip short following an announcement the other day that the Open, the oldest national championship in Asia, has been reset to a later date due to lack of sponsors.

The Asian Tour is in charge of raising the needed $400,000 to stage the event. The Asian Tour bought the rights to run the show from the NGAP. As it is, there are $200,000 in the bucket, courtesy of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and businessman Enrique Razon.

"If the Asian Tour cannot raise it, maybe chairman Abalos can. It’s just $200,000 or P10 million and chairman Abalos is very good at raising funds. Don’t be surprised if he does, and the RP Open will push through as scheduled," said the NGAP official.

"We’ve worked with chairman Abalos before and we know his capabilities. Besides, the name of Wack Wack is also at stake here. Again, if you look at it, it’s just $200,000," added the golf official.

He added that the NGAP is also more than willing to help.

"Why not," he said.

Pablo Soon, sports and games committee chairman of Wack Wack, told The STAR yesterday that if asked to and given the chance, the fabled golf club will not hesitate to help raise the funds and save the Open.

"We can try to help raise the funds. But for the meantime, we’re waiting for the arrival of chairman Abalos who is out of the country. Maybe by Jan. 2 or 3, we can see some development," said Soon.

The WWGC official said at the moment, alternative dates have been set, and these would fall in February or May. He said there are no names yet on the list of prospective sponsors.

"Nothing is definite yet. So far, there’s none except for the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and Mr. Razon. Everybody has a friend. We all have friends. But to make them commit is another thing," added Soon.

The news of the postponement, he said, is not a good one.

"Of course everybody is sad. But we (Wack Wack) are not in any position because it’s the Asian Tour which is raising the funds, not Wack Wack and not the NGAP," Soon added. — Abac Cordero