Nakajima, Van Der Valk among top TCC contenders

MANILA, Philippines — Toru Nakajima of Japan and Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk will try to pull off a double whammy in The Country Club Invitational set to start Feb. 6 at the TCC course in Canlubang, Laguna.

The first foreigners invited to compete in what was once a rich, all-Filipino tournament since 2001, both are also legitimate contenders for the Pl.5 million top prize.

After winning a leg in the ICTSI Tour last year and finishing well inside the Top 30 in the Order of Merit race, the former Japan Tour campaigner Nakajima is rated highly in the P5 million event like

Van Der Valk placed second to Elmer Salvador in the Philippine Open in 2009 and went on to top the Q School last year.

Legendary Frankie Miñoza is the defending champion with the 53-year-old hoping to become the event’s first-ever repeat winner against a field that also has former champions Angelo Que, Artemio Murakami, Antonio Lascuña and Cassius Casas.

Miñoza won a three-man playoff against brothers Jay and Rufino Bayron last year which was the highlight of a sterling season for the former US Champions Tour regular.

Que will also be chasing a place in the tournament’s history books as he shoots for an unprecedented fourth win, while Lascuña looms as a dangerous customer coming off a big season here and in the Asian Tour.

The event will kick off the 18-leg ICTSI season, with the Pro-Am ushering hostilities on Feb. 5 where the event’s sponsors are included in teams backstopped by pros.