Splendido Classic on

MANILA, Philippines - A full-packed field, headed by the country’s top guns and a slew of foreign aces, begins its chase for fame and fortune as the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour kicks off its seventh season with the P2 million ICTSI Splendido Classic today at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay.

Reigning three-time Order of Merit champion Tony Lascuña drew veterans Frankie Miñoza and Cassius Casas in the 11:40 a.m. group on No. 1, three-time Asian Tour winner Angelo Que is paired with Elmer Salvador and Anthony Fernando in the 7:55 a.m. flight on No. 10 while young turk Miguel Tabuena opens his bid against Jay Bayron and Elmer Saban at 7:50 a.m., also on No. 1, highlighting the opener of the 16-stage circuit staking P560,000 to the winner.

Jay Bayron, who battled back from nine strokes down to edge brother Rufino by one in last year’s staging of the event, hopes to score a repeat but faces an uphill battle with Lascuña also raring to start the season on a winning note along with the rest of the aces in the Top 5, including Tabuena, Salvador, Charles Hong and Mars Pucay.
That guarantees a slam-bang action in all four days of the competition with a host of Koreans and Japanese, South African and Dutch players, who made it to the Tour roster through the PGT Q-School last February, also out to prove their worth and spoil the local aces’ title drive in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Despite the break, the field is expected to come in top shape, each player undergoing serious training and buildup for crack in each of the 16 multi-million-peso tournaments lined up for the season.

“I would like to think that everybody has trained long and hard for this year’s campaign. And that should make each tournament doubly-interesting,” said Lascuña, who won five tournaments in a dominant performance last year.

What made his campaign doubly remarkable was that he saw action in only nine events while turning in a couple of top-five finishes to underscore his fiery form.

“But it will be a different thing this year. There are a lot of good players out there raring to score a win. We also have to contend with the foreign players from the Q-School, so it’s going to be a lot tougher this time,” said Lascuña.

Still, he remains the marked player along with last yeaer’s leg winners Tabuena, Salvador, Hong, Pucay, Cassius Casas, Rufino Bayron, Joenard Rates, Zanie Boy Gialon, Arnold Villacenio and Clyde Mondilla.

Angelo Que and Frankie Minoza are also in the fold, both seeking to snap a long spell along with Marvin Dumandan, Ferdie Aunzo, Jhonnel Ababa, Mhark Fernando, Anthony Fernando, Michael Bibat, Orlan Sumcad and Benjie Magada.