Big 3 lead chase as Open tees off

LIPA CITY, Batangas , Philippines  – They are all accounted for – from veteran Frankie Miñoza to defending champion Angelo Que to in-form Juvic Pagunsan, guaranteeing an explosive showdown among the country’s leading shotmakers in the Philippine Open which fires off today at the wind-raked Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club here.

The troika sets out in separate flights with the same goal - a strong start in the P2.5 million tournament, the country’s premier championship which features the strongest local field ever assembled in years.

Miñoza, who snapped a long RP Open title drought in 1998 at Riviera before annexing his second crown in 2007, launches his bid at 11:30 a.m. in the company of Marvin Dumandan and Richard Sinfuego, two of a slew of players tipped to contend for the top P410,000 purse.

Que, seeking to become the seventh player to score an RP Open repeat, drew Louie Dacudao and Elmer Salvador, the Order of Merit winner of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, hoping to make the most of their early 8 a.m. tee-off on No. 10 and produce a low score.

Pagunsan, the best Filipino finisher on the Asian Tour Order of Merit ranking at No. 16, is brimming with confidence following his three-shot romp over Que and Salvador at ICTSI-Canlubang last week, which closed out the 10-stage revival of the ICTSI-sponsored pro tour. He is set to start at 7:40 a.m. on the 10th in the company of Omar Dungca and Danny Zarate, who hopes to make it two in row here after ruling the ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat leg early in the year.

But no player is as much hopeful as Miñoza, who is out to give himself a big present on his golden year on Dec. 29.

Other former champions in the fold are Cassius Casas, Robert Pactolerin and Mario Manubay, who won it in 2001, 1990 and 1986, respectively, while Artemio Murakami, Mars Pucay and Tony Lascuña lead the Asian Tour regulars.

Que is also trying to become the first player in more than half a century to score a repeat in Asia’s oldest golf championship, which failed to make it to this year’s Asian Tour calendar due to lack of sponsors.

But the National Golf Association of the Philippines made sure it would still be held even through an all-peso, all-Filipino tournament as it tapped San Miguel Corp. and Stradcom as presenters, Pagcor and Jorgman as major backers and hole-in-one sponsors Mitsubishi Motors Philippines and Club Car to ensure the continued staging of the event.

The legendary Celestino Tugot scored the last back-to-back title romp in 1958, which was actually a four-straight championship that started in 1955 before Australian Bruce Crampton broke the streak in 1959.

Tugot also won in 1949, his first, and in 1962, his last, for a six Open romp although it was another Filipino, Larry Montes, who owns the record of 12 RP Open victories.

Jay Bayron and Ferdie Aunzo are the other leg winners in the ICTSI-PGT circuit seeing action in the event backed by Amalgamated Motors, Orient Pearl, Mega Data Corp, Pandrol Korea, MRT, Seokwang, Zest Air, Star Infrastructure, CATS Inc, AMA Computer College, Sunwest, Alecon, Herma Group, Northwest Airlines, DMCI, Cebu Pacific and 1st Tee and 10th Tee Energy Bars, USA.