Summit Point returns to PGT spotlight

MANILA, Philippines — Nine years after last hosting a Philippine Golf Tour championship, Summit Point Golf and Country Club makes a much-anticipated return to the PGT calendar, ready to once again put the country’s top professionals through one of the tour’s most demanding tests.

The ICTSI Summit Point Championship blasts off September 8-11 in Lipa City, Batangas, with the Robert Trent Jones II-designed layout expected to challenge the men and ladies of the PGT with its combination of length, strategy and precision.

Clyde Mondilla ruled the last PGT event staged at Summit Point — the ICTSI Players Championship — and went on to capture the 2017 PGT Order of Merit crown. Now, nearly a decade later, the course returns to the spotlight with another strong field eager to make its mark on a layout that rewards aggression off the tee but demands discipline from start to finish.

Known as the country’s first “tribute” course, Summit Point features holes modeled after renowned layouts and signature holes from famous international courses. But while its design pays homage to golf landmarks around the world, it has developed a character and set of challenges all its own.

At 7,017 yards, the course gives the long hitters plenty of opportunities to attack, but power alone will not be enough to conquer it. Recent monsoon rains have softened the fairways, potentially narrowing the advantage of the biggest hitters. Strong winds are also expected to add another layer of difficulty.

The mix of short, strategic holes and long, demanding par-4s and par-5s will require players to make sound decisions throughout the four rounds. Large bunkers, water hazards and ravines stand ready to punish errant shots, while precise approach play and a dependable short game could prove decisive.

The four par-3s could also emerge as pivotal holes in the championship. With little room for error, they offer opportunities to gain ground – or quickly derail a title bid.

Reigning Order of Merit champion Angelo Que and Mondilla are expected to banner the field in the P2.5 million championship, the fifth leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

The event comes after a lengthy two-month break in the PGT calendar, with the last two legs played in July. Lloyd Go swept those final two stops, prevailing in contrasting fashion at the tight, undulating Pinewoods course in Baguio before edging Tony Lascuña by one stroke at the flat and wide Pradera Verde in Pampanga.

The extended break should leave the field both rested and hungry, giving the pros — including those competing in the accompanying 54-hole, P1 million Ladies PGT — more time to sharpen their games and prepare for the second half of the season. Several players have also seen action in overseas tournaments during the hiatus, adding another intriguing element to the battle at Summit Point.

But much of the attention will inevitably center on the course itself.

Summit Point's return to the PGT stage provides a distinctly different challenge from the tour's recent stops. It invites players to unleash their power, yet punishes indiscriminate aggression. The softened fairways could encourage more attacking lines, but the hazards, ravines and demanding approach shots will require players to know when to push and when to play conservatively.

After nine years away, Summit Point is back — and it is poised to make the PGT's return a test of not just who can hit it farthest, but who can manage the course, withstand the conditions and remain patient over four demanding days. (Pool story)