MANILA—Juvic Pagunsan shoots for another first on the ICTSI Tour against a souped-up field seeing action in one of the toughest golf courses in the country next week.
The first to successfully defend a leg crown on the local tour, the 33-year-old Pagunsan goes for a “three-peat” when the Apo Golf Challenge in Davao tees off on Wednesday.
And out to stop him will be a stellar field led by Angelo Que and the eminent Frankie Miñoza, who will play in the P1-million event after missing the Tour’s last four legs.
Que and Miñoza are taking time off from their busy schedules overseas to join the Apo leg, the sixth all-Filipino stop of the Tour which dangles a P200,000 champion’s purse.
Que will be shooting for a second win this year after prevailing in the Malarayat leg in Lipa City. Pagunsan has won three times so far and finished third in Marapara, behind Robert Pactolerin and Antonio Lascuña.
Also seeing action in the 54-hole event are former Philippine Open champions Elmer Salvador, Artemio Murakami and recent leg winners Pactolerin and rookie Jonel Ababa.
Lascuña, the pint-sized Ababa, Cassius Casas, Ferdie Aunzo and PH Open runner-up Jay Bayron will be coming to the course they call home, making it a wide-open tournament.
After the Davao stop, the Tour goes to Del Monte in Bukidnon next week before going to the Aboitiz Cebu leg at the end of the month for the $65,000 Asian Development Tour stop.
The tournament is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Empire Golf & Sports Shop, Inquirer Golf, PinoyGolfer.com, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.
Pagunsan won this tournament running away from Aunzo and Elmer Saban last year.