Pro-am kicks off Benz RP Masters

TAGAYTAY – There are 55 foreigners in the field but for Angelo Que and the rest of the local hopefuls in this week’s Mercedes-Benz Philippine Masters, it’s going to be a battle with the fickle weather and unfamiliar playing conditions at the Tagaytay Midlands course here.

Rains have been forecast for much of the week and this should affect much of the chances of the 120 local and foreign participants seeing action in the $50,000 (about P2.7 million) tourney serving as the second leg of the Mercedes-Benz Tour.

The damp weather has also softened the fairways, according to tournament director Boy Blue Ocampo, and there’s a big chance the preferred lie rule might be enforced.

Philippine Open winner Que and Mars Pucay, the only Filipino winners in a fledgling circuit exclusive to players in the Asean region, as well as Juvic Pagunsan will be leading the charge for the 49 Philippine entries that includes two amateurs.

In the starting roster are 30 bets from Thailand, 13 from Malaysia, four from Indonesia and one each from Vietnam and Singapore.

Lam Chih Bing, the Singaporean who ruled last week’s opening leg in Indonesia, decided to skip the event and rest.

Meanwhile, Que and 33 other invited pros will see action in today pro-am featuring special guests of local Mercedes-Benz distributor CATS Motors, Inc., Tagaytay Highlands members and playing representatives of Tour sponsors Callaway and Crest Link.

Que will be playing with CATS Motors president Felix Ang, Babes Simpao and Peter Tanchi while Pagunsan is in a foursome with Tagaytay Highlands president Jerry Tiu, Tagaytay Highlands founder Willy Ocier and CATS Motors chairman Greg Yu. The shotgun start is at 7 a.m.

The top three professionals will receive cash prizes while their amateur partners get Callaway products.

With the 2007 earnings included for this season’s Order of Merit, Pucay and Que are showing the way with a little more than a thousand dollars separating them. Pucay has won $15,166.50 so far while Que has $14,084.50 including last week’s runner-up cheque.

There are four Filipinos in the top 10 with Felix “Cassius” Casas in sixth place with $7,319 and Marvin Dumandan 10th $4,024.