Top Phl, foreign pros clash in Solaire Open

MANILA, Philippines - The best of the old and the new of Philippine pro golf plus a certified future star will spearhead the local challenge against a crack international field when the inaugural Solaire Open is fired off next week at Wack Wack.

Juvic Pagunsan and Angelo Que, who hold a combined four Asian Tour titles the last few years, veteran Frankie Miñoza, a multiple winner of the Asian Tour titles during his prime, and teener Miguel Tabuena, recent winner of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour opening leg, are all pumped-up for the upcoming $300,000 event set April 11-14 at the fabled East layout.

“The current Philippine field is good and these young kids have no fear. They are very good,” said the 53-year-old Miñoza, a two-time Philippine Open champion, the last in 2007, also at Wack Wack’s east.

Other local aces expected to contend for the top $54,000 purse in the event serving as the seventh leg of the Asian Tour are Tony Lascuña, the local circuit’s current No. 1, and Jay Bayron, the reigning Order of Merit champion of the Asian Development Tour.

For one, Que got off to a strong start on the lucrative Asian Tour, finishing joint fourth in the Myanmar Open although he went through a minor setback when he missed the cut at the Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT last week.

But the power-hitting Filipino shotmaker remains upbeat of his chances next week.

“I finished fourth in my first event so it has been pretty good so far. I’m still trying to find four good rounds for the whole week where I will be in contention again,” said Que.

The event is sponsored by the Solaire Resort and Casino and supported by DOT (Department of Tourism), Hyundai, Pru Life UK, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, and Omega. Other backers of the event are Holiday Inn Manila Galleria, Johnnie Walker, Asahi Super Dry, Srixon, Panasonic, Canon and PepsiCo.

Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea, Arnond Vongvanij of Thailand, Mardan Mamat of Singapore, Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan and Rikard Karlberg of Sweden headline the elite cast of international stars in the four-day championship also held as part of the launch of Solaire Resort and Casino, the country’s newest tourist destination, in Entertainment City in Pasay.

Baek is ranked fifth on the OOM after two top-five results but is still without a victory since 2009. He, however, hopes to turn his fortunes around in the newest Asian Tour event in the Philippines.

“I know I need to get stronger. I know I have to lose some weight and have skipped dinners to do this. I’ve lost about 8kg since the beginning of this year. I want to keep trying to get it down,” said Baek, 22.

Mamat, meanwhile, is aiming for a repeat performance at the venue where he reigned as champion of last year’s ICTSI Philippine Open for his third Asian Tour title.