Malarayat ready for 89th Open

LIPA CITY — The Club Malarayat Complex here is now in perfect championship shape, ready to give the elite 156-player field made up of Asia’s best seeing action in the 89th Philippine Open a tough test.

The fairways of the Mounts Makulot and Lubo nines have been manicured to pristine condition, with the roughs grown to a length that would punish errant drives by making approach shots difficult.

Members of this exclusive club will find the course with a new look, with most of the fairways narrowed after the ground’s crew put a first cut of rough only for the $200,000 event while stretching the composite layout to a length of close to 7,000 yards.

The greens will play with glass-like speed and pins will be placed in tightly-guarded spots as scores are not expected to go low, especially if the winds blow during the May 19-22 event serving as a leg of the Asian Tour.

A representative from the Asian Tour’s technical committee gave the course the thumps-up recently, pronouncing the site fit for world-class play.

"This will be a memorable Open for everyone, not only because we are playing in a world-class course but because of the hospitality they will get from the Malarayat staff," said Malarayat president Antonio Turalba Sr.

Asia’s oldest golf championship, held under the auspices of the National Golf Association of the Philippines, has drawn the finest players in the region, with Thai superstar Boonchu Ruangkit in the roster and Angelo Que leading the local charge.

The event, which stakes roughly $24,000 to the winner, has been moved to this playdate from February to be able to fit in the calendar of the Asian Tour, home to some of the biggest names in the world.

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo will hit one of the ceremonial drives to open the event, which is being presented by Philippine Airlines, ICTSI and San Miguel Corp. and backed by the Hanjin Group, Pagcor, Aboitiz Group of Companies, Petron, PCSO and the Department of Tourism with the Lima City Hotel the official residence.

A Celebrity Pro-Am, where three amateurs will be paired with the professional to form one team, will start off hostilities on May 18 (Wednesday), with the awarding ceremonies and the raffle to be one of the grandest in the history of the Open.

Meanwhile, the qualifying round for the tournament started yesterday at the Villamor Golf Club with close to 100 players teeing off. A total of 20 slots will be up for grabs in the 54-hole qualifier.