ICTSI-Forest Hills pro-am lures celebs

MANILA, Philippines - Eleven golfing celebrities, headed by back-to-back leg winner Tonton Gutierrez, spice up action in the ICTSI Forest Hills Championship pro-am tournament set today at the Forest Hills Golf Club in Antipolo.

Gutierrez teamed up with Anthony Suntay and Gary Lim and pro Omar Dungca to rule the ICTSI Riviera Classic pro-am last week. He also partnered with Glydel Mercado and pro Tony Lascuna to capture the ICTSI Sherwood leg crown last March.

Joining Gutierrez in the 18-hole tournament are Monsour del Rosario, Christopher Peralta, Vince Hizon, Lito Camo, Jay Sonza, Buboy Garovillo, Danny Javier, Paolo Santos, Levy Ignacio and Jeffrey Bernaldez plus guests from the business sector and other fields and backers of the sponsoring International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

The traditional pro-am serves as a prelude to the P1 million pro event, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, which gets going tomorrow featuring the cream of the country’s crop.

Juvic Pagunsan seeks back-to-back victories after scoring a runaway six-shot win at Riviera last week although the smooth-swinging shotmaker is expected to encounter stiff resistance from a host of others in the hunt for the top P200,000 purse.

Jay Bayron, for one, is raring to make up for disappointing stint at Riviera where he limped in joint 24th after coming into the event with a string of runner-up finishes.

Bayron topped the ICTSI Forest Hills leg last year via a two-shot win over Marvin Dumandan, another player tipped to explode this week after missing the cut at Riviera.

Others seeing action in the event, backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Jaguar, Land Rover, Studio 23, Balls TV, Srixon/Cleveland Golf, Callaway Golf, Odyssey and Golf Punk and media partners Business Mirror, Inquirer Golf Monthly, A Round of Golf, Pinoygolfer.com and Omnisource are Artemio Murakami, Danny Zarate, Richard Sinfuego, Rey Pagunsan, Orland Sumcad, Gene Bondoc, Ferdie Aunzo, Tony Lascuna, Tony Opaco and Elmer Saban.