Que seeks first crown in ICTSI golf tour

MANILA, Philippines - Angelo Que hopes to make the most of his first and last crack at the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour crown this year as he joins the star-studded field in the P1 million event beginning Wednesday at the Cangolf’s north course in Laguna.

The reigning Philippine Open champion didn’t see action on the revival of the RP golf tour after ruling the ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat leg of the Asean Tour earlier in the year, opting to campaign abroad along with the other big guns of the local circuit.

That makes the 31-year-old Que hungry for a local crown, installing him as one of the favorites to win the top P200,000 purse in the 54-hole tournament serving as the final leg of a 10-stage circuit put up by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

But Que will be challenged by an equally talented field also going all out for a victory at the year-end tournament of the P10 million circuit, including fellow Asian Tour campaigners Juvic Pagunsan, Frankie Miñoza, Tony Lascuña and Mars Pucay. The event, backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Pisanti, Srixon, FAMI, Business Mirror, Motorola, Omnisource, Nike Golf, Tiger Gatorade and Pepsico, also serves as Que’s tuneup for his defense of the RP Open crown at Mt. Malarayat two weeks from now.

Others crowding Que for the championship are current Order of Merit leader and double-leg winner Elmer Salvador (ICTSI-Sherwood and ICTSI-Valley), leg winners Marvin Dumandan (ICTSI-Eagle Ridge), Ferdie Aunzo (ICTSI-Royal Northwoods), Danny Zarate (ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat) and Jay Bayron (ICTSI-Forest Hills).

Salvador, for one, will be gunning for the clincher in the OOM race with at least a runner-up finish here with the second running Dumandan, behind by P128,000 in winnings, also raring to spoil the soft-spoken Davaoeño shotmaker’s bid and bolster his own title drive.

Meanwhile, a pro-am tournament will be held tomorrow featuring a select cast of pros teaming up with invited amateurs from the event’s chief backers. They will also include some of the top members of the amateur pool.