CANLUBANG, Laguna—Angelo Que starts his quest for an unprecedented fourth championship in The Country Club Invitational today against a field that doesn’t have Juvic Pagunsan here.
Que is listed as one of the fancied bets along with the revered Frankie Minoza, the defending champion, and the in-form Antonio Lascuna at the wind-swept layout where only the top 30 pros in the ICTSI tour are invited.
Pagunsan has refused to play in the P5 million event obviously because of differences with organizers who suspended him from the local tour – for the second time – last year, because of conduct unbecoming a pro player.
Pagunsan has reportedly refused to pay the P25,000 fee for his reinstatement, leaving Que as the only three-time winner in the fold.
Minoza, meanwhile, also has a shot at history with a repeat this year making him just the second player – after Que – to win the event back-to-back.
Minoza and Que are together in the second-to-last group teeing off from No. 10 at 9:50 a.m. together with lady amateur hotshot Princess Superal.
“I’m always ready for this tournament,” Que, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour, said. “Anybody playing this week has a solid chance at winning.”
Former winners Lascuna, Cassius Casas and Artemio Murakami will tee off right behind Minoza and Que’s group even as Miguel Tabuena is listed as the darkhorse in the field.