MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan makes a rare appearance on the local front as spearhead of a crack Filipino cast slugging it out with the region’s best and some of the world’s aces in the $1 million Resorts World Manila Masters which unwraps tomorrow at the Manila Southwoods’ Masters Course in Carmona, Cavite.
This will mark Pagunsan’s return since opting to campaign on the lucrative Japan PGA Tour middle of 2013 after he was suspended by the local golf tour organizers for action allegedly unbecoming of a professional that caused his ban from the circuit in 2011.
But the smooth-swinging ace shotmaker decided to make Japan his base where he gained a card after topping the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2011. Although he remained winless, Pagunsan has posted three top five finishes on the Japan PGA last year and had two runner-up efforts this season.
That makes the 36-year-old Pagunsan a top contender for the crown worth $180,000 (P7.9 million) in the Resorts World Manila Masters presented by 918.com which also features six other Asian Tour OOM winners, including Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thaworn Wiratchant and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa.
China’s top player Liang Wen-chong, the 2007 OOM winner and last year’s inaugural champion, is also in the fold along with Swede Daniel Chopra, who with Atwal are former PGA Tour winners.
Joining Pagunsan in the local roster are Asian Tour campaigners Angelo Que, Elmer Salvador, Jay Bayron, Miguel Tabuena and Tony Lascuña, who has racked up a third straight OOM crown on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour recently.
Fourteen of the current top 20 on the Asian Tour OOM ranking are also seeing action, including six-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend of Australia, ensuring a spirited battle for top honors in the 72-hole championship, the richest golf tournament in the country.
Other backers of the event are Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, Bally Technologies, Aristocrat, International Gaming Technology, Renoir Implementation Services, Marriott, Philippine Airlines, Maybank and PLDT.
Three of the Asian Tour’s young turks – Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Sri Lankan Mithun Perera and Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung – are also in the elite roster, each raring to gain a crack at a maiden Asian Tour win.