While the men of the tour have played practically the toughest courses in the country in the current First Gentleman’s Golf Circuit, the par-72, 7256-yard layout still has so much to offer what with its character varying from one hole to another especially in the presence of the winds.
Water hazards come into play on 16 holes while the rough could punish the wayward shots especially on the second and the closing hole where they will play into the prevailing winds during the week.
The good thing is no player from among the elite cast of 40 could boast of the so-called familiarity of the course, thus giving everybody an equal chance and making the chase for the top P1 million purse truly exciting.
The event is the richest-ever championship lined up so far this year with the uncertainty of the Philippine Open. It is being put up by Ricky Razon Jr., president of the International Container Services, Inc. to honor the memory of his father, Don Pocholo, who founded ICTSI in 1987 and turned it into the biggest ports management company in the country.
One of the unique features of The Country Club, a Tom Weiskopf Signature Design layout built in 1997, is its gently undulating putting surface. While presenting a very good target for the players, the size of the greens will place a premium on putting.
A one-day pro-am tournament spices up the event where two round-trip tickets to the US West Coast, courtesy of Northwest Airlines, will be raffled off for the amateurs and two full sets of Nike pro-combo irons for the pros during the awards rites.
A free practice round will be held Monday starting at 8 a.m.
The eminent Frankie Miñoza leads the hunt for the top purse although gauging from his last stint on the local tour, where he wound up 15th and withdrew in the other after 27 holes, the Japan PGA Tour regular campaigner will have his hands full against the best and the brightest players in the land.
There is Richard Sinfuego, who will be coming into the event with back-to-back victories and three wins overall in the current tour, and the likes of Cassius Casas, Mars Pucay, Rey Pagunsan and Davidoff Tour campaigners Gerald Rosales and Angelo Que.