DHL Cup: Champ faces tough Koreans Koreanss

MANILA, Philippines - Koreans Park Min Ung and Park Seong Dae hope to provide the early challenge and pressure for Rupert Zaragosa as they join the fancied Filipino bet in the featured threesome in today’s opener of the 20th WWWExpress-DHL RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship at the Canlubang Golf and Country Club in Laguna.

In fact, Park Min Ung seeks to flash the form he showed in winning the Philippine Junior Open crown at Sherwood in 2013 as he sets out with Park Seong Dae and Zaragosa in the 8:50 a.m. flight on No. 1 at Cangolf’s North course.

But a host of others also braces for a strong start as they try to fuel their respective bids in the four-day championship, including Justin Quiban, Southwoods’ main man in last year’s Fil-Am Golf Invitational, and Cebu bets Gen Nagai and Wei Wei Gao.

Jaime Patnongon, JP de Claro, Ricar Candinato, JR Gonzales, Raymart Tolentino, Ramir Roque, Carlo Villaroman, Bobby Celestino, Chester Calpotura and Joel Yamyamin.

Youthful Kristoffer Arevalo also seeks to make an impact while veteran Dave Hernandez hopes to use his familiarity with the par-72 layout, the home of the annual event put up by WWWExpress and DHL Express and held as part of the PLDT Group’s National Amateur Golf Tour.

Other Korean bets tipped to contend for the crown in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines are Chung Jeon Woo, Kim Hyun Cheol, Kang Dong Guk, Kim Joo Hyung and Lee Sang Hyeon.

The absence of the crack ICTSI ladies golf team, currently campaigning abroad, also leaves the title chase in the distaff side wide open with Wack Wack’s Felicia Medalla, Villamor’s Harmie Constantino, Valley Golf’s Kayla Nocum and Ashia Nocum, Aguinaldo’s Bianca Pagdanganan expected to crowd for the crown.

Cebu bets Lois Kaye Go and Wei Fang Gao, Kristine Torralba and Annika Cedo are also raring to join the title hunt along with Koreans Hwang Min Jeong, Seo Yon Kwon and Choi Yeon Hwa and Fil-Am Carlia Canto.

The 54-hole ladies event will start tomorrow.

The top 60 players will advance to the third round in the men’s division with the top 40 moving to the final 18 holes while the top 20 will advance in women’s play.

For details, call NGAP Office at (02) 7065926 or 0917-5177259 or email [email protected] /[email protected] or Canlubang golf at (049) 5491363.