ICTSI-Orchard lures foreign bets, stakes P2.5M purse

MANILA, Philippines - The ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour gets a taste of international flavor as 10 foreigners, led by Aussies Unho Park and Gavin Flint, have confirmed participation in the third leg slated May 18-20 at The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

To further raise the level of local play, the sponsoring ICTSI and the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. have put up a total prize fund of P2.5 million (around $60,000) for the 54-hole tournament, making it the richest in the four-year circuit.

“We believe the presence of the foreign players on the local circuit will not only boost the country’s pro golf but will also help raise the level of play here,” said PGTI general manager Colo Ventosa.

It could also work as motivation for the local pros to do better and aspire for more.

“This is a good exposure for the Filipino pros, especially those who could not afford to campaign abroad,” said Marvin Dumandan, one of the leading pros in the land who won three legs last year.

Some of the foreign bets will be coming off the ICTSI-Philippine Open firing off tomorrow at Wack Wack with the PGTI expecting more to join since the Asian Tour will take a long break after the Phl Open to give way to the US Open. The Asian circuit will resume on June 23-26 for the Queen’s Cup in Thailand.

Park, ranked 33rd in the current Asian Tour Order of Merit, and Flint, winner of last year’s kickoff leg of the Asian Development Tour in Myanmar, are vying in the $300,000 Phl Open, which drew some of the region’s top shotmakers and a slew of international players.

Others seeing action in the ICTSI-Orchard event, backed by by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway and Dynamic Sports, are Scot Graeme Stewart, Aussie Matt Docking, Ian Gleadow of Britain, Carl-Johan Stjarnfalt of Sweden, Ian Gleadow and Nick Pugh of England, Nathan Robinett and Matt Docking of Australia.

Meanwhile, Benjie Magada, who nipped Tony Lascuna in the second playoff hole to win the Ochard crown last year, will be hard pressed to score a repeat as the cream of the country’s pro are all in the fold, including Angelo Que, Frankie Miñoza, Artemio Murakami, Elmer Salvador, Miguel Tabuena and last year’s ICTSI-PGT Order of Merit champion Jay Bayron.