Luisita offers Open true test of golf

MANILA, Philippines - The Luisita Golf and Country Club will host the 78th Philippine Open presented by ICTSI beginning Thursday and there is no better course to hold Asia’s oldest Open than the 49-year-old layout whose rugged terrains and rolling fairways put severe options on precision and shotmaking.

The par-72 course, built in the heart of a former sugar plantation by famous American golf designer Robert Trent Jones Sr., looms as a great theater of golf for the men of the tour with no distinct advantage among foreign aces and their local counterparts.

It will all boil down to living with the subtle terrors that could be found in its sleek putting surface, unsettling water hazards that guard 11 of its greens and the unpredictable winds that could alter the character of the holes in an instant.

Those are the elements that would make Luisita tougher since the fast-paced changes in technology and design of modern golf have made the Tarlac layout vulnerable to the power-hitters in the ranks.

In fact, organizers hope the rough would serve as Luisita’s last line of defense after Miguel Tabuena posted a 22-under 266 in dominating the Central de Azucarera De Tarlac Open last September. The 21-year-old Tabuena, however, made the feat under preferred lies.

“Luisita’s main challenge will be the width of the fairways and the rough. Hole 17 will be crucial and the rough, though not long, will produce flyer lies,” said Luisita’s Jeric Hechanova.

“But based on the quality of the field, I think the winning score could go around 16-20 under,” he added.

Given the depth of the cast, Tabuena believes he has a good chance to nail his first Open and erase the stigma of his final round foldup in the 2012 Phl Open.

“I remember I played well in my second Open in 2012 where Mardan Mamat won. I was in the final group but I’ve changed as a golfer since then,” said Tabuena. “I’ve had a few chances to win on the Asian Tour. I’m more confident with my shots, physically and mentally, I’m stronger. My experience is also more now and I now know how to handle the pressure better.”

But he stressed he won’t treat the Open as a special event so as not to disrupt his preparations for the $300,000 championship held under the auspices of the National Golf Association of the Philippines and hosted by Central Azucarera de Tarlac for the first time.

“My game is in good shape and I know I will have a chance. But I won’t treat the Open any different from other events,” said Tabuena.

Meanwhile, Marcus Both describes his title-retention drive in the Open a “little bit odd,” needing to accomplish the mission on a different course although the Aussie ace remains confident of his chances for a repeat.

“It feels weird defending on a different golf course because I played very well at Wack Wack,” said Both, referring to his two-shot win over Siddikur Rahma of Bangladesh at WW East course last year. “But I’ve done a little bit of research, in fact, one of my friends have been to the Luisita course and he posted a lot of photos on Facebook.”

The 36-year-old Both, a three-time Asian Tour winner, has endured an uncharacteristic run of poor form in 2015 where he sits way down in 136th position on the Order of Merit. But another Phl Open win will net him another one-year winner’s exemption on the Asian Tour.

“My game hasn’t been good but I’ve rectified most of the issues which I’ve battling with. My game feels in great shape although the scores have not really shown. I just need to stay comfortable and shooting some low scores,” said Both.

“It looks great and I’m very excited. At the end of the day we are fighting for the same trophy and I’ll be honored to hold it up for two years in a row. I’m sure everybody will go there with the same goal,” said Both.

The storied Philippine Open has celebrated many worthy champions in the past, including Australia’s Peter Thomson, Lu Lian-huang and Hsieh Min-nan of Chinese Taipei, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Filipino stars Frankie Miñoza, Angelo Que, Larry Montes, Celestino Tugot, Ben Arda and Luis “Golem” Silverio, who won as an amateur in 1966.

Focus will also be on a slew of local aces, including Juvic Pagunsan, the 2011 Asian Tour OOM winner, who is raring to nail the crown missing in his vast trophy collection, and Tony Lascuña, Jay Bayron, Elmer Salvador, Cassius Casas, Rufino Bayron and Charles Hong.