MANILA, Philippines - The country’s leading amateurs fight it out with a crack foreign field, including a slew of Riviera-based South Koreans, in what could be an explosive four-day battle for supremacy in the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships beginning today at Canlubang’s north course in Laguna.
Miguel Tabuena of ICTSI-Cangolf heads the local contingent’s bid to keep the crown at home and foil the visitors’ attempt to duplicate Singapore’s Quincy Quek’s thrilling playoff victory over Ferdie Aunzo in 2009. He drew Singapore’s Koh Dengshan, ICTSI/The Country Club’s Justin Limjap and Riviera’s Wang Jeung Hun in the 8:20 a.m. flight on No. 1.
Wang, for one, is raring to win this tournament after blowing his title bid last year after he was disqualified in the final round although he has actually redeemed himself by topping the Canlubang Am Open last year.
Jhonnel Ababa took the 2010 crown but the Cangolf mainstay has turned pro late last year, leaving the reins to the current members of the national pool.
The young Tabuena, the reigning Asian Games silver medal winner, will try to live up to expectations and carry the cudgels for the hosts in the tournament sponsored by WWWExpress-DHL,both headed by its chair Rod Feliciano.
Three other Singaporeans seek to re-claim the crown won by Quek two years ago with Jerome Ng, Gregory Foo and Benedict Ho hopeful of their title chances in the tournament, which also includes Indonesians Surya Irawan and Rinaldi Adiyandono.
Feliciano, his brother Joe Feliciano, president of WWWExpress along with Cangolf chief Luigi Yulo and DHL officials Duncan Gates, Anthony Latham and Gerric Martinez, will hit the ceremonial balls to kick off the 16th staging of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils in cooperation with the perennial host club, Canlubang Golf and Country Club.
Focus will also be on Chihiro Ikeda, who is gunning for a fourth straight championship in the ladies side of annual event hosted by Cangolf in partnership with WWWExpress and DHL in their continuing effort to boost Philippine golf.
Ikeda will be taking on the same field she beat in the Philippine Ladies Open and the Southern Ladies tomorrow, making her the overwhelming favorite to win what could be her third title early in the season.
But Dottie Ardina has vowed to foil her ICTSI teammate’s record bid in the 54-hole tournament as she tries to recover from poor form that has hounded her campaign in the last three tournaments.
Jayvie Agojo, who broke down in the final round to lose the Southern Ladies plum to Ikeda in Bacolod last week, is also raring to get back at the defending three-time champion, promising a spirited chase for top honors on a wind-raked course that requires accuracy and mental toughness.
Meanwhile, Bacolod topped the team event in last weekend’s Southern Ladies golf tournament, pooling a 242 to beat Del Monte (229) and the national training pool (226).
Also on tap in this week’s event is the 36-hole team championship dubbed as the Rod V. Feliciano Cup.
Jerson Balasabas, who placed second to Ababa last year, is again tipped to contend for the crown on a course he calls home, together with ICTSI-Cangolf teammate Jobim Carlos, one of the top players from the jungolf ranks. Balasabas is paired with Irawan, Sonny Villaber and Korean Song Sang Baek of Riviera in the 8:30 a.m. group.
Carlos is grouped with Dante Becierra of ICTSI-TCC Choi Dae Young of Riviera and Shn Ji Young of Forest Hills in the 8:40 a.m. flight, also on No. 1. --end it//thanks