ICTSI Classic kicks off 10-leg Tour

MANILA, Philippines - Local pros get busy after a long tour-less spell as they clash for top honors in the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, a 10-leg monthly circuit spread over the country’s championship courses, which unfolds beginning today at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

The event marks the revival of the local circuit, which boomed in the 90s with the Philip Morris Golf Tour and the Omni Tour and last staged in 2002 with the First Gentleman Foundation Golf Circuit.

ICTSI, the world leader in port management which helped boost the junior and amateur golf when it put up a team after the SEA Games here in 2005, took up the cudgels for the pros late last year and staged a three-leg tour as a prelude to this year’s circuit.

The top players in the Order of Merit ranking after that three-leg circuit last year and the recently concluded The Country Club Invitational get to see action in the P1 million event at Mt. Malarayat dubbed as the ICTSI Classic.

Robert Pactolerin and Marvin Dumandan, leg winners at Sherwood and Davao, respectively, last year, along with Cassius Casas, Elmer Salvador, Rey Pagunsan, Richard Sinfuego, Benjie Magada and Mars Pucay head the cast in the 54-hole championship which is expected to raise the level of play of the local pros after a long layoff from competitive golf.

Action will then shift to Tagaytay for the ICTSI Splendido leg on March 25-27 with the Eagle Ridge in Cavite hosting the third leg – the ICTSI Eagle Ridge - on April 22-24.

The Ranchos Palos Verdes in Cagayan de Oro will be the tour’s fourth leg on June 24-26 to be followed by the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational on July 1-3.

The second half of the circuit will start in Antipolo for the ICTSI Forest Hills sixth leg on Aug. 13-15 then to San Rafael, Bulacan for the ICTSI Royal Northwoods stage on Sept. 2-4.

The challenging Riviera in Silang, Cavite will host the eighth leg of the P10 million circuit Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 then to nearby Sherwood HIlls for the penultimate leg Oct. 21-23 before winding up Dec. 16-18 for the ICTSI Canlubang in Laguna.

Two foreign tournaments from the Asean Golf Tour will be added to the local circuit with the ICTSI Mt. Malarayat Championship May 21-24 and the Mercedes Benz Masters Nov. 4-7.

With the Philippine Open slated in June, the local pros are indeed up for a hectic campaign this year.