Wide-open fight looms in ICTSI Pueblo leg

MANILA, Philippines - The men of the tour mix it up again beginning today when the fourth leg of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour – the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championships – is held at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro City.

This marks the second time in as many weeks that the country’s touring pros will be slugging it out for top honors in the revival of the pro tour after Juvic Pagunsan romped away with a six-shot win over Artemio Murakami and Jerome Delariarte at Apo in Davao last week.

However, a wide-open battle for the top P200,000 purse is expected as Pagunsan opted to skip this week’s event and compete on the Malaysia Tour, along with Tony Lascuña, Mars Pucay, Benjie Magada and Peter Miñoza.

That leaves Murakami and Delariarte plus a host of others to fight it out for the title in the 54-hole tournament serving as the fourth leg of a 10-stage circuit put up by ICTSI (International Container Terminal Services, Inc.) and backed by MJ Carr Golf Management.

Current Order of Merit leader Marvin Dumandan, who won at Eagle Ridge and finished second at Mt. Malarayat, is also tipped to contend for the crown again after finishing fifth at Apo, along with Danny Zarate, winner of the kickoff leg at Mt. Malarayat, Elmer Salvador, Ramil Bisera, Jun Bernis, Carito Villaroman, Richard Abaring, Ebarra Quiachon, Ruben Sasutil and Elmer Saban.

An 18-hole pro-am tournament, which featured some of the leading pros and ICTSI guests and sponsors of the event, including Pisanti, The Country Club, Srixon, FAMI, Business Mirror, Motorola, Omnisource and Pepsico, was held Tuesday.