Phl Am Open draws huge field

MANILA, Philippines – A crack field, toughened up by a slew of foreign players, gears up for a spirited battle for top honors, both in the men’s and women’s divisions, as the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship kicks off the new golfing season on Thursday at Riviera’s Couples course in Silang, Cavite.

Former champion Rupert Zaragosa and rising stars Dan Cruz, Ira Alido, Aidric Chan, Weiwei Gao, Gab Manotoc, Kristoffer Arevalo, Jed Dy and Carlo Villaroman head the 89-player men’s roster that includes young and veteran campaigners from Malaysia, Taiwan, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand and the US.

That makes the four-day championship, held under the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart and Metro Pacific Investment Corp., anybody’s game.

But focus will be on the red-hot Yuto Katsuragawa, who powered Manila Southwoods to a runaway triumph in the recent Fil-Am Championship in Baguio and led his partnership with Carl Corpus to the NGAP National Doubles crown at Aguinaldo last week.

Others chasing the crown owned by now pro Jobim Carlos at Eagle Ridge last year are Matthew Abalos, Luis Castro, JP De Claro, Jelbert Gamoo, Nik Gatmaytan, Luigi Guerrero, Riggs Illescas, Gabriel Macalaguim, Jolo Magcalayo, Ryan and Ivan Monsalve, Don Petil, Peter Po, Adrian Romero and Raymart Tolentino.

Bannering the Korean challenge are Jang Young Cheol and Jeon Jeong Hyun.

The country’s top amateur championship is organized and held by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and hosted by Riviera Golf and Country Club.