Tour top guns brace for shootout

BACOLOD, Philippines – Most of the top players in the 80-player field just planed in on the eve of the pro-am tournament of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic here Monday, weary from a four-day fruitless campaign on the ASEAN PGA Tour leg in Malaysia and wary of their chances in the P1 million event unfolding today.

The Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club is actually hosting a tournament of this magnitude for the first time since 2002 when Angelo Que nipped Cesar Ababa by one behind a closing four-under 66 in the now defunct First Gentleman Golf Circuit. But going by the consensus of the field, which sampled the course in the pro-am yesterday, the NOGCC could be there for the taking, its par-70, 6197 yardage short by the field’s standard especially in the absence of the wind.

“I think 9- or 10-under will win here,” said Tony Lascuña, who emerged as the top Filipino finisher in last week’s Negeri Sembilan Masters Invitational in Seremban, Malaysia and is coming into this sixth leg of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour in top shape.

“We haven’t played here for a long time, so it’s quite unfamiliar to us. But it’s relatively short, so emphasis would be on iron game and putting and anybody can win here,” added Lascuña, out to snap a long title drought.

Out to sustain his win streak on the local circuit, on the other hand, is Juvic Pagunsan, the homegrown bet and the prohibitive favorite to clinch the top P200,000 purse in the 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., given his superb form not to mention his familiarity with the layout where he reigned during the 2005 Philippine Amateur Golf Championship.

Pagunsan begged off from the pro-am ruled by Anthony Fernando and amateur partners Tess Mendell, Pinky Silva and Lynlee Rizzon, who combined for 52, and opted to take a much needed rest instead after settling for joint 11th place finish in the Malaysia tilt which he co-led in the second round.

Robert Pactolerin, another Negrense who has local knowledge of the layout also expects torrid scoring in the next three days although it would also depend on the pin placements.

Truly, the greens could be the course’s last line of defense with their undulating surface expected to challenge the field’s putting skills.

“It’s not actually an easy course since the greens are tough but given the caliber of the field, a three-under card each round could win it,” said Pactolerin.

Que and Ababa won’t be around this week but Elmer Salvador and Richard Sinfuego, who finished joint third in 2002, are in the fold along with Artemio Murakami, Mars Pucay, Cassius Casas, Marvin Dumandan, Ferdie Aunzo, Jun Bernis, Rufino Bayron, Jerson Balasabas and another local talent in Rodrigo Cuello.

“I can’t remember anything on this course although I know you have to hit it straight here and play a superb short game to score here,” said Salvador in Filipino. The Order of Merit champion in the inaugural staging of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour in 2009 is also coming off a joint 20th place finish with Murakami in Malaysia.

Still, focus will be on the smooth-swinging Pagunsan, who has racked up three victories in the first four legs of the circuit and came in second to Thai Thanyakon Khrongpa in the ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat Classic of the ASEAN PGA Tour last month. And with him playing on a familiar ground, things indeed look up for the former Asian Tour top rookie.

Pagunsan drew an early morning tee-time at 7:30 a.m. on No. 1 with Jun Bernis and amateur Chepe Dulay and is fancied to be among the early contenders along with Aunzo, who won here in the 2008 Philippine Amateurs and is in the first flight at 7 a.m. with Joel Opaco and Robert Malaga.

Lascuña, who last won in the 2007 Selangor Masters but who had two third place finishes in the current season, will start late at 11:20 a.m. on No. 10 in the company of Danilo delos Santos and amateur Brent Sumampong while Artemio Murakami is booked in the 11:10 a.m. flight on No. 1 with Rodulfo Aldimer and Peter Miñoza. 

The event is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.