Casas top pick in RP Masters

With the possible absence of defending champion Frankie Miñoza, the in-form Cassius Casas has been installed as the prohibitive favorite in the 14th Philippine Masters golf championship starting Thursday, at the Villamor Golf Club.

Though still to clinch a major championship abroad, Casas has contended for the title in several legs of the Davidoff Tour the most notable of which was in the Wills Indian Open and the Thailand Masters recently.

In India, Casas set a course record of 65 at the Classic Golf Resort course and again at the Windmill layout in Bangkok, he set a personal best 62 on the way to posting top 10 finishes.

At Villamor, Casas will be out to join the list of revered names in the champions roster that includes Rodrigo Cuello, Roberto Pactolerin and Miñoza, who had said that the Masters was in conflict with a tournament he is to play in Japan.

This year's Masters, offering a total pot of P3 million, has drawn the support of San Miguel Beer, San Miguel Light and Viva Mineral Water as television presentors and also Nextel, ICTSI and Portalet.

The three-pronged support of San Miguel Corporation is part of its renewal of ties with the country's most prestigious golf event next to the still-to-be-held Philippine Open.

"We're all set, everything from the prize money to the course and the organizing force are ready," said Lt. Gen. Willie Florendo, the commanding general of Philippine Air Force who also heads the Villamor Golf Council.

Brig. Gen. Filamer Artajo (Ret.), general manager of Villamor, said the final preparations of the course are underway.

"I can say that the course will hold its own against the talented field. The greens are now in the best shape possible considering the summer heat and we expect a good tournament," he said.

Artajo also is ordering a closure of the course by Tuesday afternoon for final checking in time for Wednesday grand pro-am event sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors where 120 amateurs will join 40 invited pros.

Mitsubishi is also putting at stake brand new cars for both the pro-am and the Masters proper.

Olle Norberg, the 1994 champion from Sweden, spearheads the foreign cast which also includes players from the United States, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore and Korea.

Also spicing up this year's Masters is an exhibit of the Golf Distributors Association of the Philippines of the latest in golf equipment and new technologies.