Wide open race seen in ICTSI Pueblo leg

MANILA, Philippines – With the big guns out on the Asian Tour, a wide-open battle among the lesser lights looms right in the first round of the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship which unwraps today at the Pueblo de Oro layout in Cagayan de Oro City.

John Hay leg winner Marvin Dumandan and Zanie Boy Gialon, who humbled ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit leader Tony Lascuña to rule the Negros Occidental stage, head the 83-player field chasing the top P200,000 purse in the P1 million event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Lascuña and the next five players on the OOM ranking – Elmer Salvador, Miguel Tabuena, Jay Bayron, Angelo Que and Mars Pucay – are seeing action in the Selangor Masters also set to start today in Malaysia, leaving the title race in the 11th leg of the local circuit wide open.

“Nobody’s sure here, even without the top guns, there are still a lot of good players and everybody has a chance,” said Dumandan, the highest ranked at No. 7, in Filipino.

No. 8 Elmer Saban and No. 9 Clyde Mondilla are also tipped to contend for the crown along with the No. 10 Gialon, Jun Bernis, Ferdie Aunzo, Johvanie Abaño, Jerson Balasabas, Rufino Bayron, Cassius Casas, Mhark Fernando, Anthony Fernando, Charles Hong, Paul Miñoza, Rey Pagunsan, Gerald Rosales, Peter Villaber, Orlan Sumcad and Richard Sinfuego.

Ramil Bisera, who won the Davao Samsung-Emcor pro-am event at Apo last week, is also expected to vie for the crown in the 54-hole tournament sponsored by ICTSI.

The same field will slug it out in the last of the two-stage Mindanao swing at Ranchos Palos Verdes in Davao, which will host a PGT leg for the first time next week. The tour goes back to Luzon for the ICTSI Calatagan Challenge on Oct. 24-26 in Batangas before moving to Canlubang for the ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitatioanl on Nov. 14-16.

The circuit winds up at Wack Wack on Nov. 27-30 for the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship, a four-day event capping this year’s 15-stage circuit.

The other backers of the event, also serving as the 11th leg of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, were Empire Golf, Titleist, Footjoy, Callaway, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Srixon, Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp with Balls, Studio 23, Pinoygolfer.com and Inquirer Golf.