RP Amateur golf today

Winning three of his first four tournaments this year should be enough proof that Angel Que is the country’s best amateur nowadays.

But Que himself admits a winning season would really mean nothing unless the huge Philippine amateur golf championship trophy is not in his possession.

In what could be his final stint at the prestigious event due to a planned crack at the pro ranks next year, the 22-year-old Que leads one of the biggest fields in years teeing off today at the exclusive Alabang Country Club course.

There were 102 names in the roster when registration ended over the weekend with the frontliners including DHL Open champion Juvic Pagunsan, national team veteran and last year’s eliminations topnotcher Cookie LaO, 1999 winner Artemio Murakami and last year’s losing finalist Jerome Delariarte.

"It’s going to be tough defending the crown with so many good players around. I just have to give it my best shot," said Que, who had emerged the individual champion of the PAL Interclub and the last two legs of the Titleist-Footjoy national amateur circuit.

When Alabang was chosen as the venue last year, many felt that Que will lose his big advantage off the tee. He proved them wrong.

Iggy Clavecilla, tournament chairman of the organizing National Golf Association of the Philippines, said that Alabang is always a test of all-around talent where good strategy is a necessity.

"All the par-5s are reachable but the risks are always there. Many par-4s are quite short for the boys but the challenge is really on the putting," said Clavecilla.

Clavecilla also reiterated that the event will be carrying a major weight in the race for berths to the SEA Games as well as the Putra Cup.

The first two days will have a stroke play format with the top 16 players advancing to the tournament proper on Thursday. The 16-man draw gets through four days of match play up to Sunday when the finalists will dispute the crown via a 36-hole showdown.

Francis Gaston, ex-pro Rolly Viray and the returning Emilio Tuason, prominent names who won during the 1970s are also seeing action together with ex-pro Dave Hernandez, Solomon Gines, Boyet Saragosa, Jun Cedo, among others.