Putra Cuppers out to end long title drought

HONG KONG — A Philippine team that is as ready as it can be plunges into action today in the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship, bullish in its bid to end a five-year drought in this event more popularly known as the Putra Cup.

Reigning SEA Games titlist Juvic Pagunsan and national champion Jerome Delariarte lead the mission to re-establish the Philippines ‘ dominance in this event which it has won more times than any other team in its 42-year history, but none since 1996.

Former caddies champion Jay Bayron and RP team first-timer Paul Miñoza round out the four-man squad, the two counted upon to fill the shoes or at least brace the impact of the loss of former national team spearhead Angelo Que.

„We have a team capable of doing well here,"said National Golf Association of the Philippines president Rod Feliciano, head of the contingent sent here with support from DHL Worldwide, WWWExpress, Mizuno and the Philippine Sports Commission.

"As long as the boys keep their focus, I’m sure we’ll do well here."

Delariarte and Pagunsan are the remaining remnants of the national team that made history by placing third in the last world amateurs in Kuala Lumpur, and the two are now tasked to carry the torch following Que’s departure for the pro ranks.

The two should be up to it.

Delariarte is coming off a sizzling showing in the last Fil-Am golf championships in Baguio City, where his tournament-best 10-under par card led Southwoods to a fourth straight championship.

Pagunsan, on the other hand, came very close to winning the Iloilo tournament of the First Gentleman’s Tour when the NGAP sent him and Bayron to the circuit’s southern swing, precisely to hone up for the Putra Cup.

Miñoza, younger brother of Frankie, may be in his first international stint but he is the most senior in the squad at 38. The Del Monte standout also has a game that can bring stability to the team under the four-to-play, three-to-count format.

The squad, led by team captain Jun Galindez of Alabang, arrived here Monday night and spent the last two days taking yardage and getting familiar with the tournament venue, Hong Kong Golf Club’s New Course.

The New Course, a mostly flat par-70 layout with generous fairways, isn’t expected to pose much of a problem for the Filipinos, but the weather is a concern.

Chill has descended in this bustling metropolis, the weather readings dipping somewhere near 10 degrees Celsius since the team’s arrival.

„May paglalagyan ang team na ito. Mahirap tumupi ito,‰ said national coach and renowned swing coach Roger Retuerto.

The team will have a lot of history to live up to.

The Philippines has won this tournament 17 times, including a record six straight from 1968 during the days of Luis ŒGolem‚ Silverio. Frankie Minoza has won individual honors here thrice during the Filipinos‚ long reign in the early eighties.

The team, at least, has a common denominator from the last RP squad that won in it 1996 in Myanmar. Retuerto was also the coach of that team, backstopped by now pros Richard Sinfuego, Rey Pagunsan and Antonio Lascuna.

Standing in the way of the Filipinos are Thailand, the most dominant team in the Putra Cup over the last decade and now led by teen sensation Prom Meesawat, and Malaysia which stopped the Thai‚s five-peat bid last year in Kota Kinabalu.